Cucumber (Cucumis sativa) production
Land preparation
Cucumber can be grown in any location as long as there is sunshine, and water supply. However, it performs best in rich humid soil. It is advisable that you choose a farm land that is located in an area that is humid and highly fertile, if you want to struggle less and save operational cost – a farm land close to a water bed is ideal.
You will spend more on irrigation if you choose to cultivate cucumber in an area with scarcity of rain and far from a river, then you will spend more on irrigation. Make good and proper enquiries on the location to start your own cucumber farm if it is to be cultivated on a commercial scale. Once you are able to secure your farm land, then the next thing to do is to prepare the land before planting your cucumber seedlings. Preparation includes:
- Clearing all the grasses in the land,
- Tilling the land
- Application of fertilizer (especially if you are not interested in organic farming)
- Dig holes of about 2.5cm deep to plant the cucumber seeds
- Ensure that each hole is spaced 40cm apart to allow for good growth. You can also prepare your cucumber farm land (in rows and columns) to allow for easy passage of both human and tractors for the purpose of watering, weeding and harvesting. (http://www.mytopbusinessideas.com/starting-cucumber-farm/)
Seeds
Apart from sufficient sunlight, water and soil conditions, the next most important factor that will determine how successful your cucumber farming business will be is the variety of seed you plant. There are different varieties of cucumber and the type you choose will decide the type of harvest you get. Questions needed to be asked in getting a good variety of cucumber seeds includes:
- Is it a local or a foreign seed?
- Is it an open or a closed seed?
- Are the seeds general or hybrid?
These and more are the things you find out before ever purchasing seed for planting. Some seeds can produce 1 tonne of cucumber per hectare each harvest, others can produce 500 kg, 200 kg, even as low as 50 kg. And some can produce up to 2-3 tonnes. (http://www.nextnaijaentrepreneur.com/cucumber-farming/)
Recommended variety
- Burpless Bush Hybrid is a popular bush form of cucumber.
- Boston Pickling’ is our favorite heirloom variety bred especially for pickling.
- We also recommend disease-resistant ‘Sassy’ or ‘Calypso’ for early yields.
- Long, thin ‘Parisian Pickling’ is great for making gherkins or cornichons.
- Lemon cucumber is a smaller cucumber many folks find reliable. https://www.almanac.com/plant/cucumbers
Planting
Cucumber seedlings are transplanted outside in the field no earlier than 2 weeks after last frost date. Cucumbers are extremely susceptible to frost damage; the soil must be at least 70ºF for germination. Do not plant outside too soon. Before transplanting,
- Select a site with full sun.
- Soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.0
- Mix in compost and/or aged manure before planting to a depth of 2 inches and work into the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, as cucumbers requires a fertile soil. Make sure that soil is moist and well-drained, not soggy.
- Improve clay soil by adding organic matter. Improve dense, heavy soil by adding peat, compost or rotted manure. (Get a soil test if you are unsure of your soil type; contact your local county cooperative extension.)
- Light, sandy soils are preferred for northern gardens, as they warm quickly in the spring. See our guide to soil amendments.
- Seedlings should be planted one-inch-deep and about 36 to 60 inches apart, depending on variety. For vines trained on a trellis, space plants 1 foot apart.
- Start cucumber seeds indoors about 3 weeks before you transplant them in the ground, for an early crop. They like bottom heat of about 70ºF (21ºC). If you don’t have a heat mat, put the seeds flat on top of the refrigerator or perch a few on top of the water heater.
- If you live in the cooler climates, you can help warm the soil by covering the hill or row with black plastic.
- Once the ground is warm, mulch with dried leaves, chopped leaves, or another organic mulch to keep pests at bay, and also keep bush types off the ground to avoid disease.
- A trellis is a good idea if you want the vine to climb, or if you have limited space.
Trellising helps to protect fruit from damage and from laying on moist ground.
Pest and Disease of Cucumber
- It’s not usually a disease when a cucumber plant does not fruit. It could be as a result of pollination problem. Both female and male flowers must be blooming at the same time. This may not happen early in the plant’s life, so be patient. (Female flowers are the ones with a small cucumber-shaped swelling at the base that will become the fruit.)
- Lack of fruit may also be due to poor pollination by bees, especially due to rain or cold temperatures, or insecticides. To rest assured, you could always hand pollinate. (Dip a Q-tip into the male pollen and transfer it to the centre of the female flower.)
- Remember, gynoecia’s hybrids require pollinator plants.
- Squash bugsmay attack seedlings.
- Aphidsare always a nuisance for any vegetable plant but easily managed.
- Powdery mildewcan be a problem if the leaves get wet (water at the soil level). Apply fungicides at the first sign of its presence.
- Cucumber Beetlesmay attack the vines and can cause disease.
(https://www.almanac.com/plant/cucumbers)
Labour
It is most likely to handle most of the labour yourself and only employ people for difficult tasks like making the beds, if you are starting cucumber business in Nigeria on a small scale, say with about a plot of land. However, if you intend to start big, you will definitely need to hire labour as a guide and the minimum you will pay a labourer per month is N20, 000. Since most promising businesses fail as a result of lazy or incompetent labour, it is recommended that you start small and build up your labour force gradually with hardworking and trusted employees.
Irrigation
As mentioned earlier, the major component of cucumber is water, hence, there’s must be constant supply of water. If you want to grow a successful cucumber farm in Nigeria, securing a good land and an adequate supply of water are necessary.
If you don’t have constant supply of water, your cucumber will look unkempt and will taste bitter. Therefore, when you harvest a bitter cucumber, you know what that implies- nobody will buy your cucumbers and you as well you get low profits. http://nigerianfacts.com/cucumber-farming-in-nigeria-step-by-step-guide/
Harvest and Marketing
Cucumber fruits for fresh consumption are harvested before they are fully mature; depending on the type this can be 1–2 weeks after flowering. The moment of first harvest is 40–60 days after sowing, depending on climate and cultivar. Harvesting is done every other day to every few days. http://agriculturenigeria.com/farming-production/horticulture/cucumber
Cucumbers are always in high demand, therefore, you are likely not going to struggle to market your cucumber. The fact that cucumbers are generally consumed all over the world because of its health values makes the vegetable very easy to market. So all you need to do is to inform locals that you have cucumber to sell and they will come rushing to your farm. You can also become a major supplier to companies who are into the processing of cucumbers. Also, you can have the option of either sell in wholesale or retail your cucumbers in a fruit / vegetable market around you. Just ensure that your cucumbers are big, green and attractive and you will struggle less to attract customers.
Lastly, ensure that the right use of pest control is utilized so that your cucumber can come out beautiful. Another option that you can choose if you want to go into cucumber farming is to go the organic way. Cucumbers that are grown organically are more expensive than normal cucumber and you stand the chance of making more profit. http://www.mytopbusinessideas.com/starting-cucumber-farm/