In the previous posts on Mr. Chatama‘s English cucumber project, we showed you his beginning, the preparation of the greenhouse, and the young plants, and some fundamental information about the cucumbers. Last we showed you some of the most common pests and diseases that Mr. Chatama must be on his guard against.
Now we will talk about the care for the English cucumbers.
Cucumbers grow best in well-drained, light-textured soils high in organic matter, and have a pH of 6 – 6.8. When the pH is too low, you may add ground calcitic limestone to the soil to bring up the pH level. If the pH is too high you can add peat, without neutralizing its acidity. You must add the peat yearly to make up for the loss through decomposition.
English cucumbers grow best vertically, letting them grow on the ground may cause the cucumbers to rot on the soil. You may use chicken wire or trellis. As the plant grows you must guide it towards the fence. be irrigated every two days. The English cucumbers have a very shallow root system so care must be taken when weeding around the plant not to uproot the plant.
Mr. Chatama uses a drip irrigation system and irrigates his plants every two days. He also applies fertilizer once a week, using mostly A.N., MOP, and Calcium. The fertilizer is dissolved in water and applied through the irrigation system.
To give his cucumber plants ample time to strengthen, Mr. Chatama cuts off the first four cucumbers on every plant. Once the cucumber has reached maturity for harvest, can be about 10 weeks after planting the seedlings, you must harvest the cucumbers throughout the season. Do not pull the cucumber off the plant, but use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stem of the cucumber. Pulling may result in damage to the plant. The cucumber can be stored in a dark cool place for up to two weeks.
