Cucumber

Soil type:

Cucumbers prefer light textured soils that are well drained, high in organic matter and have a pH of 6 - 6.8. Adapted to a wide-range of soils, but will produce early in sandy soils. Cucumbers are fairly tolerant to acid soils (down to pH 5.5).

Greenhouse cucumbers generally grow quite well in a wide range of soil pH (5.5-7.5), but a pH of 6.0-6.5 for mineral soils and a pH of 5.0-5.5 for organic soils are generally accepted as optimum.

When the pH is too low, add ground calcitic limestone, or an equal amount of dolomitic limestone when the magnesium level in the soil is low, to raise it to a desirable level.

Irrigation

The objective of watering is to maintain a fully adequate supply of water to the plant roots without soaking the soil to the extent that air cannot get to the roots. Do not wait until the plants start to wilt. A good practice is to dig into the soil and judge how much water remains before starting the next irrigation. Regular watering on the same day of the week is unwise. The needs of the plants change daily and seasonally. Water young plants planted in the greenhouse in January or February only once every 5-10 days and then only enough to wet 15-20 cm of the soil. Similar plants growing in June may need 5-10 fold as much water. Let the soil texture and structure determine how much water to add at each application. By examining the soil before watering and several hours thereafter, you can assess the effectiveness of the water application. Depending upon soil type and growth conditions, approximately 25–50 mm of water per week is needed to obtain high quality cucumbers. An irregular water supply, particularly during blossoming and fruit development, can detrimentally affect fruit quality and result in increased nubins or hooked fruit.

Макро элемент:

Nitrogen (N)

Most plants need nitrogen in large amounts. It is generally considered to drive plant growth. Nitrogen plays an essential role in the composition in all proteins in all plants. Since it is a major structural and functional factor for every plant, crop yields are highly dependent on N availability to the plant.

Nitrogen is required in the production of chlorophyll (the green pigment in leaves), which is responsible for converting sunlight to usable plant energy. Therefore, shortage of nitrogen reduces the plant's capacity to trap energy through photosynthesis. It is important that when reaching the flowering stage the plant will be well developed vegetatively; or it will have a low yielding potential.

Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorous is essential for the normal development of the roots and reproductive organs (flowers, fruit, seeds). Phosphorus promotes strong early plant growth and development of a strong root system. Highly available phosphorous is needed for the establishment of the seeded or transplanted cucumbers. Phosphorus is required for cellular division and formation of molecules taking part in energy transformation (ADP & ATP).

Plants require phosphorus at all stages of growth, but demand is greatest during crop establishment and early plant growth. If phosphorus becomes limiting, it is translocated from older to younger tissues, such as the leaves, roots and growing points. In a crop such as cucumbers, which has a continuous production of new vegetative and fruiting tissues, a regular supply of phosphorus (and other elements) is needed to ensure that the plant can sustain quality fruit production over a prolonged period.

Potassium (K)

The role of potassium in cucumber nutrition

Potassium is a major nutrient that plays a key role in many physiological processes in all plants among which are:

Activation at least 60 different enzymes involved in plant growth and metabolism.
Regulation of the water balance of the plant through the roots osmotic gradient and the functioning of stomata guard cells.
Involvement of the activation of several enzymes and control of ATP formation as a part of photosynthesis.
Enhancing the translocation of nutrients through the xylem system and of organic compounds, mainly carbohydrates, in the phloem system from source to sink.
Involvement in any major step of protein synthesis.
Reduction of plant susceptibility to plant disease, and a-biotic stresses