How to grow cucumbers
Nov 05, 2020
A well maintained acre of cucumber can yield around 30 tonnes for the best varieties
Many years ago, cucumbers were not such a money crop in Uganda.
This has, however, changed in the last few years. Cucumbers are now commonly eaten as salads by families, especially in urban areas.
If you take a walk through the large markets, many traders are selling cucumber, which means that the market is not only available, but there is money, too, in the product.
At the moment, a single large bulb costs as much as sh500.
A well maintained acre of cucumber can yield around 30 tonnes for the best varieties, like hybrid cucumber Darina.
This is if all the required fertilisers and pesticides are used on the farm. With this yield, a farmer can earn as much as sh10m against an investment of between sh3-sh4m. Certainly, that is good money for a period of three months.
These crops can be grown almost anywhere in Uganda, as long as the soils are dark, loam and fertile.
Perhaps the only region that cannot grow cucumber is Karamoja, given the sandy nature of the soils and the dry environment.
Nursery bed preparation
Seedlings are better propagated through a nursery bed. You can either use potting materials or directly plant on a clean bed. Potting (putting seeds in pots) is ideal for producing vigorous seedlings from the nursery. Potting materials can be got from many agri-input stores at around sh20-sh50 each.
Mix one wheelbarrow of soil to another of decomposed manure. Manure can be got from livestock farmers, for example chicken droppings or dung. At the moment, a 100kg bag costs between sh10,000 and sh15,000. Alternatively, you can decompose your kitchen remains, for example left over foods, for three months, in a covered pit, to create manure.
Mix 50grammes of DAP in one wheelbarrow of decomposed, fine manure, in order to enhance root establishment. A 50kg bag of DAP costs sh150,000. You need two bags per acre. Fill the mixture in pots and put one seed per pot. Seeds should be one inch deep.
Arrange the pots in order and cover them with grass. Water every morning with each seedling taking at least 30mm. Seeds will take five to 10 days to germinate.
Remove the grass after a week or upon germination. You can remove it by plucking it out using your hands.
Spray the seedlings with a mixture of 1ml of cypermethrin and 5grammes of mancozeb with a 1litre sprayer. It protects the seedlings from pests.
Spraying is done once a week, in order to protect the seedlings from fungal diseases and pests.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting after three weeks.
Transplanting in the evening is ideal in order to avoid the hot temperatures of the afternoon because they could make them wither.
Compiled by Joseph Male (Avail Faith Farm in Magere) and Joshua Kato (editor, Harvest Money)