Cucumber farming in the Philippines is a highly productive and profitable agricultural activity that can provide sustainable income. Whether you are planning to plant cucumbers in your backyard, or have a commercial cucumber farming plan, this article is right for you so continue reading.
The Cucumis sativus, better known as Pepino locally, is a very popular plant for the refreshing flavor of its fruit, widely used in salads and Mediterranean diet plates. It is an annual plant that has its origin in India, where it has been cultivated and consumed for more than 3,000 years.
There are three popular varieties cultivated in the Philippines. The regular green cucumber, white cucumber, and spiny cucumber. The cultivation of these varieties is the same.
In addition to its culinary use raw, it is also consumed a lot as pickled and in sauces. The cosmetic industry often uses it because of its moisturizing and bleaching properties for the skin. It is also a food with diuretic and purifying properties, so it is also used in diets with these characteristics.
If you want to learn how to sow and cultivate cucumbers at home, keep reading this article where we will show you how to do it step by step.
Cucumber Farming
1. When to sow cucumbers
The cucumber is usually sown at the end of the summer season in the Philippines from the last week of April to May. However, if you live in a fresh weather area you can wait until well in June to avoid the risk of high temperatures that could kill the plant.
In addition, there are those who recommend making two sowings spaced for about 4 or 6 weeks, in order to enjoy the harvest for a longer time.
2. How to sow cucumbers
The cucumber can be planted directly in the garden, but since it is a plant to which the cold can do a lot, at the beginning of summer, transplant the cucumbers to the ground. Learn how to sow cucumbers in a seedbed step by step following these simple indications:
- The first thing is to prepare the seedbed substrate. For this, you can buy at any specialized store special substrate for seedlings, or make one yourself with a mixture of earth with humus, perlite, and coconut fiber.
- With cucumber seeds, the same thing happens as with the substrate: you can buy them, or use the crops of previous years. The substrate moistens before starting, and plants between two and three seeds per seedbed, no more than 2 centimeters deep.
- Once planted, try to keep the seedbed in an area with natural light so that the seedlings are not there, that is to say, that they grow weak due to lack of light, and do not swim the substrate when watering or fungi could appear. In about a week, you should see your seeds germinate, and another three weeks later they will be ready to be transplanted.
Cucumber Farming: How to Grow Cucumbers
After the month from the sowing of cucumbers in the seedbed, their seedlings must be transplanted to their definitive location outside or to the pot if you are growing backyard. If planted on the ground, a minimum distance of 40 centimeters between each plant should apply.
1. Ideal soil to grow cucumbers
The cucumber requires soils with a large number of nutrients so organic fertilizer and composts are needed. We always recommend using organic fertilizers, such as earthworm humus, compost, or livestock and poultry manure. In addition, it is very important that the ground has a good drain. Giving a layer of fertilizer just after transplanting will also allow the cucumbers to outgrow weeds.
2. Cucumber irrigation
This is the most delicate point with the cucumber because although the waterlogging is fatal for the plant, it also needs regular and abundant irrigation to develop properly. If your soil is flooded due to an excess of irrigation or bad drainage, it is very likely that your cucumbers are attacked by fungi, spoiling your harvest.
3. Sunlight
The cucumber likes heat, but if you live in an area where temperatures are very high, you should not expose it to the worst hours of the summer sun. Look for a semi-shade location, where the plants are covered in the heat of noon.
4. Pruning of the cucumber plant
It is good to remove the withered leaves that do not seem in good condition of the plant. In addition, pruning some secondary stems will favor the fruiting and production of fruits.
Finally, you put a trellis so that the plant climbs for them and the fruits do not remain at ground level. This step is not necessary, but it is recommended especially for commercial cucumber farming to maintain the quality of the fruits.
5. Harvesting cucumbers
Cucumber is a very productive vegetable, and in just approximately two months from planting you can start harvesting cucumbers. It is important to target its production capacity of 25 kg per square meter, or at least 17 tons per hectare. The cucumber is a high-yield vegetable and is highly profitable if properly cultivated.
Cucumber Farming Questions Answered
Is cucumber farming profitable?
Yes, cucumber farming is very profitable and a cucumber farmer in the Philippines can earn a net income between P150 to as high as P500,000 per hectare in just 3 months if properly managed.
Is cucumber seasonal in the Philippines?
Cucumber is a warm season grown year-round locally. The optimum temperature for growth is about 300C, while the optimum night temperature is 18-210C. The soil should be fertile and rich in organic matter with a soil pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5.
What is the best month to plant cucumber?
Cucumber seeds should be sown in a propagator between March and April to early May. But you can get started in February if your greenhouse is heated, and in May to June if you plan to sow the seeds directly outdoors.
How many months will cucumbers produce?
Cucumbers are ready for harvest 50 to 70 days from planting, depending on the variety. Depending on their use, harvest on the basis of size. Cucumbers taste best when harvested in the immature stage (Figure 2). Cucumbers should not be allowed to reach the yellowish stage as they become bitter with size.
Do cucumbers need a lot of fertilizer?
Cucumber plants need a small dose of fertilizer every 10 to 14 days for maximum growth and production. The best way to do this is by using liquid versions that absorb via the roots and foliage.
Do cucumbers need a lot of water to grow?
The main care requirement for cucumbers is consistent watering! They need at least one inch of water per week (or more, if temperatures are particularly high). Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit.
Can cucumbers grow in hot weather?
They love the full sun and thrive in hot summer weather during the day and warm weather at night. The ideal cucumber growing temperature is between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, according to PennState Extension. Temperatures below 50 degrees will cause them to grow slower, as will temperatures above 95 degrees.
How many kg does a cucumber plant produce?
A single plant will give you around 6-7 kgs of fruits .. Trellising is needed for harvesting quality fruits.
How many weeks does it take to harvest cucumber?
Cucumbers generally take about 8 – 10 weeks to ripen, stretching out to 12 – 14 weeks for apple cucumbers. Make sure you monitor your vines regularly; it’s better to harvest when cucumbers are under-ripe, rather than over-ripe. When harvesting it’s best not to pull the fruit off the vine.
What is the lifespan of a cucumber plant?
Cucumbers are grown annually, which means that the plant does not regenerate after the growing season. Once it has lived out its life span of roughly 70 days, the plant dies and cannot be regrown.
Is chicken manure good for cucumbers?
Cucumbers benefit from a healthy dose of chicken manure pellets. This is especially true when chicken manure is combined with plenty of compost. The leaves will not turn yellow due to a lack of nitrogen. If all other things are right, the vines will grow vigorously and cucumbers will be plentiful.
See Also:
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- Black Australorp Chicken Origin and Characteristics
- Seaweed Farming in the Philippines: How to Grow and Propagate Seaweed