During the cultivation of cucumbers, it is essential to prevent the vines from overgrowing. If the vines grow excessively, it will disrupt the branching ability of cucumber plants, leading to the plants producing only male flowers instead of female flowers, which affects fruit setting and ultimately reduces cucumber yields. Below are some measures to prevent overgrowth of cucumber vines in greenhouses.
Measures to Prevent Overgrowth of Cucumber Vines in Greenhouses
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Reasonable planting density: Cucumbers in greenhouses should be managed with proper fertilization and watering, and spaced appropriately. Planting density should be determined based on season, soil fertility, and variety, generally ranging from 4000 to 4500 plants per acre.
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Timely watering: Watering should be controlled to promote growth in the middle but not excessively at the ends. Before fruit setting, focus on moisture conservation and soil warming through cultivation. During fruit setting, water every 7-10 days, watering before picking to control overgrowth. Reduce watering after the top fruit set to encourage new root growth. Water promptly when the fruit starts to swell.
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Proper fertilization: While ensuring an adequate supply of soil nitrogen, apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers appropriately. Fertilize with liquid fertilizer. Before cucumber fruit swelling, apply 15 kg of ammonium phosphate, 10 kg of potassium sulfate, and 15-20 kg of urea per acre. Subsequently, fertilize every two harvests. In the middle and late stages, apply decomposed manure with irrigation 2-3 times, about 1000 kg per acre each time.
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Temperature control: Cucumber plants grow faster when temperatures exceed 30°C, which can lead to overgrowth. The suitable temperature for growth and development is 25-30°C. Therefore, daytime temperatures in greenhouses should not exceed 30°C, ideally kept between 25-30°C, while nighttime temperatures should be around 18°C to increase dry matter accumulation and reduce respiration.
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Humidity control: The ideal air humidity for cucumber growth and development is 60%-80%. When humidity in the greenhouse exceeds 85%, ventilation should be immediately provided to reduce humidity. Ventilate for 1-2 hours in the evening when the temperature is between 10-15°C to lower nighttime temperature and humidity, control diseases, prevent overgrowth, and promote flowering and fruit setting.
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Trellising: When cucumber vines grow to around 30 cm, start trellising. Initially, trellis vertically; as the vines grow vigorously, they can be bent left and right, adjusting the tightness and curvature based on vine growth. If the vine growth is strong but fruit setting is poor, tighten the trellis and increase the curvature.
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Hormone application for fruit setting: After cucumber fruit setting, plant nutrient growth is controlled. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase the number of fruits on the first batch of flowers. Using 100-fold diluted hormone spray or flower dipping can help retain cucumber fruits and promote multiple fruit setting, accelerating the rapid enlargement of small fruits. This not only increases early yields and early market entry but also effectively prevents vine overgrowth.
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Timely root pruning: Root cucumbers have a significant impact on vine growth. Late harvesting of root cucumbers will inhibit vine growth. For overgrown cucumber vines, prune the roots appropriately to reduce overgrowth. When vine growth is weak to prevent vine drop, harvest root cucumbers early and take measures to promote vine growth as soon as possible.
Above are the measures to prevent overgrowth of cucumber vines in greenhouses. Overgrown cucumber vines without fruit setting seriously affect the economic benefits and yield of greenhouse cucumbers, so it is essential to take preventive measures seriously.
