Is it too late to plant autumn cucumbers now?

Cucumber is one of the most common vegetables on our table. It can be cultivated all year round. It has a short growing period and high yield. Many farmers want to grow cucumbers. So is it too late to plant autumn cucumbers now? Let’s take a look below.

1. Is it too late to plant autumn cucumbers now?

Depending on the region, the planting time of autumn cucumbers can be early or late, starting from early to mid-July and lasting until early August. However, after mid-to-late August, it is not recommended to plant autumn cucumbers, especially in the northern region. Considering the growing period of cucumbers, if sowing is too late, and the cucumbers have not yet borne fruit after the frost, it will basically be difficult for them to bear fruit.

Many areas in central China, north China and other regions will choose to sow autumn cucumbers in the middle of the dog days. As the saying goes, " radishes in the first dog days and vegetables in the second dog days", and cucumbers are included in the "vegetables in the second dog days". There is also a saying in some areas that autumn cucumbers should be sown before the beginning of autumn, which is basically during the period of the second dog days.

2. How to grow high-yield cucumbers outdoors in autumn?

1. Variety selection

Care should be taken to select varieties that are heat-resistant, flood-resistant and disease-resistant. The varieties that are more suitable for planting in autumn include Jinlu No. 5, Jinyou No. 4, Jinza No. 4, etc.

2. Land preparation and ridge making

Since autumn cucumbers are prone to many diseases, they should be planted in fertile soil where no melon crops have been grown for 3-5 years. Beans, onions and garlic are the most suitable previous crops. After the previous crop is harvested, 6,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 50 kg of ammonium bicarbonate and 100 kg of superphosphate are applied to one acre of land. After applying the base fertilizer, the land is plowed. The land is made into 1.3-meter flat beds, and two ridges 40 centimeters apart are made in the beds, and cucumbers are planted on the ridges.

3. Planting seeds

Autumn cucumbers are planted by direct seeding, with a seed rate of 300 grams per acre of land. Before sowing, you need to soak the seeds in warm water, then dig furrows and plant the seeds. When sowing seeds, you need to dig a small trench 3 cm wide and 5 cm deep, level the bottom of the trench, sow seeds at a spacing of about 8 cm, and cover with 3 cm of soil and slightly press down.

4. Field management

(1) Watering

For autumn cucumbers, water management is the most important. It is necessary to water to prevent drought and drain water to prevent flooding. After sowing, if the soil is dry, water should be applied along the furrow, but the furrow should not be flooded. After the seedlings are all grown, they need to be watered once to lower the ground temperature and ensure stable and rapid growth of the seedlings. After watering, you need to till the soil and loosen the soil to promote root development. After the root melon is harvested, fertilizer and water management needs to be strengthened. Generally, water it once every 3 days. As the temperature drops, the frequency of watering should be gradually reduced. At the same time, pay attention to watering in the morning to restore the ground temperature.

(2) Thinning and finalization of seedlings

From the time the seedlings are evenly spaced to the time when two true leaves are spread out, the first thinning is required to remove diseased, weak, stumpy and deformed seedlings. After the second true leaf unfolds, the second thinning should be carried out, keeping the seedling distance at about 10 cm. When the seedlings grow 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted. It is best to keep the seedling distance between them at 20 cm, and the seedling density should be about 500 plants per acre.

(3) Topdressing

In order to promote the growth of stems and leaves of autumn cucumbers, generally after the second thinning, it is necessary to apply fertilizer lightly in combination with watering, and then apply fertilizer again after the seedlings are established. During the peak period of fruit setting, the plants should generally be watered once and fertilized once, with 20 kg of urea applied per mu of land each time.

(4) Pruning support

Generally, a herringbone frame is required, with a height of about 2 meters. When tying the vines, you should combine it with pruning. Remove all side branches below 50 cm from the main vine, and keep the side branches above 2 leaves and pinch off the top to leave the melons. The main vine is usually pinched 15 days before pulling out the vines.

5. Harvest

In the early stage of cucumber harvest, they need to be harvested in time. In the middle and late stages, the weather turns colder, the cucumbers develop slowly and are not easy to age. The harvest period is not strict and can be appropriately postponed according to market conditions.

That’s it