Setting cucumber fruits on the tree is a technical skill with many important considerations. The success of this process directly impacts the overall cucumber yield, so it's crucial to pay close attention. So why should cucumbers have at least seven leaves before fruit setting? The details are as follows:
Why do cucumbers need at least 7 leaves to produce fruit?
When a cucumber plant has seven leaves, its ability to produce nutrients is already quite strong, enough to not only meet its own needs but also supply the growth of the cucumber. If the cucumber is set too early, the nutrients produced by the leaves cannot meet the needs of the cucumber's growth, which can easily affect the plant's growth and lead to problems such as deformed cucumbers.
How do you save cucumbers?
1. Time for leaving melons to ripen
Determine the time to leave the fruit based on the plant's growth. Generally, for vigorous vines, leave the first fruit when the plant has 6-8 leaves, while for weaker vines, leave the first fruit when the plant has 8-10 leaves. Therefore, it is safest to leave the fruit when the plant has more than 7 leaves.
2. Number of melons left to grow
Don't leave too many fruits on the plant. Generally, in the early stage of fruit setting when the plant is growing vigorously, leave 3-4 fruits on the plant. In the later stage of fruit setting, when the plant is growing weaker, leave fewer fruits and leave a few leaves between fruits. Generally, leaving 2-3 fruits is enough.
3. Spacing between melons
The best interval for leaving cucumbers is one cucumber every 3-4 leaves to maximize the overall yield of the plant.
4. Matters concerning keeping melons
(1) In cucumber management, try not to leave large cucumbers, as leaving large cucumbers can easily weaken the plant's growth.
(2) Leave an appropriate amount of the first fruit. If the cucumber plant is growing vigorously and is of normal type, the first fruit should generally be left at the 4th or 5th node, about 50 cm from the ground. When the fruit grows to 9-10 cm, remove it. This is to prevent the fruit from being left too low, causing it to touch the ground and bend.
(3) Remove deformed and bloated melons in time. These melons not only do not grow well, but also consume the plant's nutrients.
(4) After the melons are set, we need to apply fertilizer according to their actual condition. If the melons grow quickly and are straight and shiny, then we do not need to apply fertilizer.
