Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on May 10, 2021 16:07:09 GMT 1
Cucumber is a savory food, but it is also a fruit. It is equally used in the production of some beauty products. This is one of the major reasons why we want to look into the farming of this fruit for profit.
Cucumbers have a mild, refreshing taste and high water content. They help in reducing dehydration; this makes it a delight to eat in hot weather conditions.
Cucumber is a member of Cucurbitaceae family. This family also has other members such as: Squash, Melon – water melon.
However, our main interest in this article is to show you how simple it is to cultivate cucumber. This article will make you take a decision to farm cucumber for a quick profit, and eventual business venture.
Did you know that you can start harvesting cucumber as early as six weeks? The prospect of making good money from farming cucumber is exciting.
We are going to share some insights into how to practically do the business as a starter.
When entering into the business as a starter, I encourage you to start small; after all, the startup cost is low and the gestation period is short. What is meant here is that the period between planting and harvesting is very short.
By starting small here we mean starting with not more than one acre of land. Actually, one or two plots of land can be enough as a starter farmer in cucumber. You can increase as you gain more experience.
Did they not say that experience is the best teacher? Yes, they said it; therefore let us learn this business by experiencing things ourselves. That was exactly how I learnt it.
When you start small you can easily manage yourself in case of unforeseen circumstances that usually crop up in business. We cannot wish it off; they must come up but be prepared to overcome.
Before going into the practical farming principles and procedures, let us look at what I can call the most important aspect of cucumber farming from my practical experience.
They are the activities of Pests and Diseases:
My dear farmer, bear in mind that wherever you find high-yielding plants, there is always the presence of yield-limiting factors. You get the analogy here?
Cucumbers have pests and diseases that affect them at every stage of growth. They have different stages of growth, and each stage has factors trying to limit their high-yielding potentialities.
There are soil-borne pests that can attack the seeds and stop them from even germinating. These pests live in the soil, and try to attack the seeds immediately they are planted.
You also have cutworms that can attack immediately after germinating; this could lead to the death of the plants if not taken care of.
We have leaf-feeding insects; they feed on the young cucumber leaves.
Rodents trouble the farm during the fruiting stage. They bite into the fruits and render them unmarketable.
Cucumber is mostly given to attacks by fungi infections. Some of them are: downy mildew, powdery mildew, and anthracnose. They are rampant during the rainy season due to high humidity.
You must routinely spray your farm with fungicides during your cucumber production. Do not try to mess with fungi.
However, there are many varieties that are tolerant of these infestations.
Some other crop management practices:
To keep your crop in top shape and performance, you need to weed your farm regularly, supplement their nutrients, and have good water supply.
Remember that we said that cucumber is made up of 70% water, so you need to make sure that there is availability of water at all times. To solve this you can sink a well or borehole if the land is yours.
Fungi attacks in cucumber production are lower and easier to manage and control during the dry season when humidity is low.
Do not apply fertilizer blindly, if you have sources of manure, use it at least one week before sowing the seeds.
Staking in cucumber production is very important. Put them in place about three weeks before the plants start to grow vines and tend rills. This will help prevent wetness that makes fungi grow. It will also prevent the leaves and vines from touching the ground.
Run your cucumber business like an actual business. You need to do things that will sustain your business, give your farm a good management.
Cucumber business production, like every other vegetable crop, and indeed other ventures in agriculture has a high potential for profit, but you need to work according to the rules.
In the next article we will discuss the practical cucumber farming methods.
Stay with us.