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Environmental Response
High light intensity or long days tend to increase the number of staminate (male) flowers produced; lower light levels or short days tend to increase production of more pestillate (female) flowers.
Leaf production is promoted under short day lengths.
Fruit production is stimulated under short day length and relatively high night temperatures.
Soil Preparation
Soils should be plowed at least 10 inches deep and disked or rotovated to break up large clods. Soils should be well drained, cucumbers are quite sensitive to oxygen deficiency in the soil.
On the other extreme, poor moisture-holding soils would benefit by a liberal application of manure or other organic matter incorporated into the soil.
If a soil amendment such as lime is needed, it should be applied broadcast before plowing and incorporated 10 - 12 inches into the soil 8 - 12 weeks before planting. This allows the lime to react with the soil to correct pH assuming sufficient moisture is available in the soil.
In case a nematicide is used, the field should be treated at least two weeks before planting for light soils and three weeks for heavy soils.
Irrigation
The frequency of irrigation is largely dependent on soil type and weather conditions. In general, for sandy soils with dry weather, the fields should be irrigated at least every other day if not, more often. The best test for the need of irrigation is to dig down 3 - 6 inches and squeeze a handful of soil; if the soil comes apart - i.e. does not stay in a ball upon the release of pressure, irrigation is needed.
Irrigation is normally applied via trickle irrigation tubing layed on the soil surface over the emerging seedling. Two or three weeks later another parallel line of trickle tubing is usually installed about 18 inches from the other.
16.Trellising
The major advantages of trellising a cucumber crop include:
Pollination
Field slicing cucumbers are dependent upon honeybees for flower pollination and all of the organic pesticides are toxic to them, therefore, if these pesticides need to be applied to the crop, it should be applied in the late afternoon when the honeybees are less active in the fields.
Poorly developed or misshapen fruit may be the result of stress of some sort during the embryo-forming period of growth. Any unevenness in seed formation will produce misshapen fruit. A wasp shape, for example, may be the result of late pollination (1 or 2 days after full bloom or anthesis), causing only the ovules at the stigma end of the fruit to produce seed. Or fertilization of the flowers may be interrupted due to internal physiological factors such as a nutrient deficiency.
1. Cultivars
a. Slicing types:
Burpee Hybrid II 8" long x 2-1/2" diameter
New Market #210" long x 2-1/2" diameter
Sweet Slice Hybrid11" long x 2-1/2" diameter
Lani Hybrid 9" long x 2-1/2" diameter
Milo Hybrid 8" long x 2-1/2" diameter
b.Slicing Oriental types:
Progress Hybrid10" long x 2" diameter
Tasty Gem Hybrid10" long x 2" diameter
2.Seed Sources
a. Slicing types:
Burpee Hybrid II- 1
New Market #2- 7
Sweet Slice Hybrid- 2, 3, 4
Lani- 8
Milo- 8
b.Slicing Oriental types:
Progress- 6
Tasty Gem- 5
1. W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 2. Harris Seeds
300 Park Avenue 961 Lyell Avenue
Warminster, PA 18991-0001 Rochester, NY 14606
3. Stokes Seed Inc. 4. Otis Twilley Seed Co.
Box 548 P. O. Box 65
Buffalo, NY 14240 Trevose, PA 19047
5. Sakata Seed Corp.
P. O. Box Yokohama Minami No. 20
1-7 Nagata Higashi 3-chome, Minami-ku
Yokohama, Japan 232
6. Takii & Company Ltd. 7. Known-You Seed Co., Ltd.
C. P. O. Box 726 Chung Cheng 2nd Road
Kyoto, Japan (600-91) Kaohsiung, Taiwan R.O.C.
8. University of Hawaii
Seed Program
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Cucumis sativus Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Mosaic Virus
Papaya Mosaic Virus
Meloidogyne sp., root-knot nematode
Oidium sp., powdery mildew
Colletotrichum orbiculare, anthracnose
Cercospora citrullina, leafspot
Pythium aphanidermatum
Rhizoctonia sp., root rot
Optimum Soil pH Range= 5.8 - 7.0
In general, if the soil pH is below 5.8 and the available soil calcium is less than 2,000 lbs. per acre, apply 2,000 lbs. per acre (4.5 lbs./100 square feet) of agricultural lime 8 to 12 weeks before planting.
On soils very low in available phosphate, apply 1,500 lbs./acre (3.5 lbs./100 square feet) of treble super phosphate (0-47-0) or its equivalent.
If both lime and phosphates are required, both should be incorporated together 8 - 12 weeks before planting.
On soils very low in available phosphate and the grower chooses to apply the phosphorus just before planting, incorporate in the planting row monoammonium phosphate (11-52-0) at 1,500 lbs. per acre (3.5 lbs./100 square feet) 10 - 12 inches deep.
For soils low in magnesium, apply magnesium sulfate (9.8% mg.) or its equivalent at 150 - 200 lbs./acre (6 oz./100 square feet).
After pH and phosphorus recommendations are satisfied, grower can adopt the following average fertilizer requirements for most Hawaiian soils. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 lbs. per acre of 15-15-15 fertilizer or its equivalent should be sufficient for an average crop. Apply 1/2 of the fertilizer, banded 3 inches to the side and 3 inches below seed at planting, 1/4 at 3 - 4 weeks and the remaining 1/4, 6 - 7 weeks later as side dress and covered with surface soil where there is irrigation moisture.
Additional application(s) of a 3:1 mixture of sulfate of ammonia: murate of potash or a 1:1 mixture of urea: murate of potash at the rate of 200 lbs. per acre should be made every two weeks with the on set of harvest as side dress and covered with surface soil. (sulfate of ammonia = 21-0-0, urea = 46-0-0, murate of potash = 0-0-61). Soluble types of fertilizer supplying equivalent rates of N and K may be injected through the irrigation system in place of sulfate of ammonia and murate of potash.
Insufficient potassium will result in misshapen fruit ("bottlenecks"), and low nitrogen restricts growth, modifies the length-to-diameter ratio of fruit, reduces fruit set and color development.
Some Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms on Cucumbers:
a. Nitrogen - Mature leaves yellowish green to yellow; stems slender, hard and fibrous; fruits light in color, pointed at blossom end; roots stunted, later turning brownish then dies.
b. Phosphorus - Mature leaves dark green changing to dull green; stems slender; fruits dull green to bronze.
c. Potassium - Mature leaves bluish green near veins, bronzing and necrosis of leaf margins; young leaves are puckered or crinkled; fruits constricted at stem end, plant growth slow.
d.Magnesium - Inter-veinal chlorosis on mature leaves, veins green; mature leaf edges brittle and ragged.
Approximate Removal of N, P, K (lbs./acre)
N - 50 P - 15 K - 60
Recommended storage temperature and relative humidity are: 45 - 50 degrees F and 90 - 95%. Average storage life 10 - 14 days.
a. Slicing Types:
Burpee Hybrid II- 55 days
New Market #2- 50 days
Sweet Slice- 45 days
Lani- 47
Milo- 50
b. Slicing Oriental Types:
Progress- 52 days
Tasty Gem- 52 days
First harvest varies according to time of year, location and prevailing weather.
Approximate Harvest Duration
Three to four weeks, depending on the weather conditions and pest incidence during harvest.
Estimated Yield
20,000 lbs./acre; 150 lbs./100 feet of row
Harvesting
Most slicing cucumbers grown locally should be ready for harvest between 45 - 55 days after planting. The frequency of harvest is usually every other day. A grower can better control quality and uniformity if harvest is done daily especially during warm weather. Daily harvest is encouraged for the oriental slicing types. Slicing cucumbers should be fresh, crisp, of medium size, well formed, uniform and of a good green color. Consult the Hawaii Grading Standards for specific requirements.
Cucumbers should not be pulled off the vines, it should be clipped or twisted off. Pulled off fruits usually will have an "open wound" where the fruit skin is torn off, this causes the fruit to shrivel around this spot.
Aphis gossypii Glover, Melon Aphid
Apomecyna saltator (Fabricius), Cucurbit Longicorn
Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Sweetpotato Whitefly
Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, Melon Fly
Empoasca solana (DeLong), Southern Garden Leafhopper
Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), Western Flower Thrips
Hercinothrips femoralis (Reuter), Banded Greenhouse Thrips
Hylemya (Delia) platura (Meigen), Seedcorn Maggot
Liriomyza sativae Blanchard, Vegetable Leafminer
Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), Chrysanthemum Leafminer
Nysius nemorivagus White, Lygaeid Bug
Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), Broad Mite
Pycnoderes quadrimaculatus Guerin-Mene, Bean Caspid
Thrips palmi Karny, Melon Thrips
Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Onion Thrips
Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), Greenhouse Whitefly
Bitterness in Cucumber
There have been many theories about bitterness but it has been difficult to obtain consistent information as to what causes the bitterness compound to move from the plant into the fruit. Bitterness comes from the compounds cucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin C. Usually these compounds are concentrated in vegetative parts of the cucumber plant. When it does spread into the fruit, it is usually more concentrated at the stem-end and always just under the skin.
Temperature appears to be one cause, cucumbers grown in the high elevations of the volcano area of Hawaii island appears to be more common than from lower elevations.
Different varieties of cucumbers may vary widely in their tendency to be bitter. Most of the longer hybrids which have recently become popular have not had problems with bitterness.
Usually direct seeded; could be transplanted.
Planting Schedule
Year round from sea level to 3,000 feet; April - October above 3,000 feet
Spacing
For all cultivars except Burpee Hybrid II and Milo Hybrid. Between rows 60 - 72 inches; between plants 8 - 10 inches.
Burpee Hybrid II produces an abundance of lateral vines and therefore the between plant spacing should be adjusted to 12 - 14 inches.
Milo Hybrid is considered a "bush" and "non-climbing type" cucumber plant and the suggested row spacing be 48 - 50 inches and plant spacing be 12 - 14 inches.
Amount of Seed
1-1/2 lbs./acre; 1/2 oz./100 feet of row
Plant Depth
3/4 - 1 inch