How To Grow Cucumber In Uganda
Cucumber is a long, green-skinned fruit with watery flesh, usually eaten raw in salads or pickled.
How to propagate Cucumber in Uganda
You can propagate cucumber by seed and appropriate germination temperature is (60-90)° F since it’s a warm season vegetable.
Seeds will take 3-10 days to germinate into seedlings.
Planting cucumber can be done on hills or in rows.
Hills are a traditional method of growing cucumbers; it requires you creating mounds of soil approximately 2 ft in diameter, and 6-8 inches high.
Hills should be built 6 ft away from each other so that the vines have room to spread.
Drill 5 holes in to the hill giving them a 3 inches spacing a part.
The holes should be 1 inch or 1-2 cm deep.
Place a seed in each hole, cover with soil and then water.
Alternatively for the rows, create raised rows of soil approximately 4-6 inches high.
The raised rows will provide additional warmth for the plants.
If growing multiple rows, ensure rows are spaced 6 ft apart from each other so vines have room to grow upwards.
Once the rows are in place plant the cucumber seeds 1 inch or1-2 cm deep and 6 inches apart.
Gently cover with soil and water the soil to keep the ground moist.
Watch out for cucumber beetles and powdery mildew, as diligence and quick action are required to keep both pests under control.
How to harvest Cucumber in Uganda
Harvesting should be done when cucumber get a suitable size.
This is normally around 50-60 days after planting. The skin of the fruit should be dark green in color.
Don’t wait until the cucumbers have turned yellow as this will indicate that the fruit has over ripen and its quality and taste is now low.
To harvest twist the cucumber off the plant or cut the stalk just above the cucumber tip.
What is the best way to grow a cucumber plant?
Space cucumbers 36 to 60 inches apart (12 inches apart for trellised plants) in an area with abundant sun and fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. Cucumbers will grow quickly with little care.
How many months do cucumbers take to grow?
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