»How to Grow Cucumber from Seed – Cucumber Farming – How to Start Business Cucumber Cultivation«
Cucumber farming is a profitable business and an economical vegetable in the world; it requires less capital than other vegetables. It can easily be done in the backyard and on the roof of the house.
The cucumber fruit is eaten raw, served as a salad, or cooked as a vegetable. Fruits vary in shape, size, and colour. They contain 0.4 % protein, 2.5 % carbohydrates, 1.5mg iron, and 2mg of vitamin c in 100 grams of fresh weight. Many hybrid varieties are cultivated worldwide and yield much more. Cucumbers prefer; well drained loamy soil (fertile) with a ph of 5.5 to 6.8 and a temperature of 18– 20C. Soil moisture is important for rapid growth; it should be 10 to 15 degrees above the permanent wilting point. Plants start yielding about 35–40 days after sowing.
Cucumber Plantation
Cucumbers require a well prepared, weed free field, 3–4 ploughing before planting. Nursery beds dimension of 2.5m by 60cm.
Three (3) Kgs of seeds are required per hectare and sown by dibbling 2–3 seeds per pit at a row distance of 1.5m-2.5m. Spacing is of 60 cm-90 cm. 40–50 cartloads of well decomposed farm yard manure are added during soil preparation. During sowing, 25 Kgs phosphorous and 25 Kgs nitrogen are added. After 30 days of sowing, 25 Kgs nitrogen is added.
Irrigation
The summer season requires frequent irrigation, whereas the rainy season does not. It requires 10 to 12 times of irrigations. Pre-irrigation is required before sowing, and subsequent irrigation is required after 2–3days. After the second sowing, the crops are irrigated at 4–5 days intervals.
Disease and Pests
The main disease & pests affecting cucumbers are downy mildew (controlled by applying mancozeb or chlorothalonil 2g/l twice at 12 days intervals). Fruit Fly and fruit can be controlled by picking affected cucumbers.
Harvesting is done when the fruits are green and young, about 10–12 times.
