Earning more from cucumber

How do you grow good cucumber? Eric Sekintule

Dear Eric
When planting cucumber, you need to choose a site that has adequate drainage and fertile soils because the plant is sensitive to wet soil conditions. Good soil will have plenty of organic matter, such as compost.
Adding compost to the soil will help get your cucumbers off to a good start. However, applying organic fertilisers such as manure will also help give the plants nutrients during growth.

When you begin preparing the soil, remove any stones, sticks or other debris and then mix ample amounts of organic matter and fertiliser to the soil. You however have to follow certain steps while taking care of the plant.
• When planting seeds in the ground, cover with netting or a berry basket to keep pests from digging out the seeds and when seedlings emerge, begin to water frequently, and then increase to a gallon per week after fruit forms.
• When seedlings reach four inches tall, thin plants so that they are one and a half feet apart.

• If you have worked in organic matter into the soil before planting, you may only need to side-dress the plants with compost or well-rotted manure. You can also use a fertiliser from your garden store which is low nitrogen or high potassium and phosphorus formula and apply at planting, one week after flowering. Or you can work a granular fertiliser into the soil. Do not over fertilise the fruits, they will get stunted.
•Water consistently; put your finger in the soil and when it is dry past the first joint, it is time to water. Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit. Water slowly in the morning or early afternoon but avoid pouring water on the leaves. Mulch to hold in soil moisture.

•If you have limited space or would prefer vertical vines, set up trellises early to avoid damage to seedlings and vines. Spray vines with sugar water to attract bees and set more fruit.
Cucumbers, depending on the variety grown, take 50 to 80 days to reach the harvest stage when planted from seed. Cucumber seedlings, purchased from garden centres, reach harvest stage one to two weeks earlier.

Answered by Aulesius Bazanyanengo a chemist and researcher with The Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI)