Nutritional recommendations for: CUCUMBER in open fields, tunnels and greenhouse Botanical name: Cucumis sativus L. Family: Cucurbitaceae Common names: cucumber, pepino, cetriolo, gherkin, gurke, krastavac, concombre, huanggua, kiukaba, kukama (Tuvalu), khira, kiukamupa, Kukamba, cetriolo Contents: 1. General information ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 The origin of cucumbers ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Botanical taxonomy ............................................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Nutritional and health values of the cucumber fruit ................................................................................ 5 1.4 Plant description ................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Growth stages ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.5.1 Vegetative growth ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.5.2 Flowers and fruits ...................................................................................................................................... 7 1.5.3 Pollination .................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.5.4 Cucumbers types sorted by final usage, morphology and culture practice ........................ 9 2. Growing cucumbers .................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.1 Growing requirements and habits of the plant ...................................................................................... 12 2.2 Important growing parameters .................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Temperature, general and with special reference to greenhouses ...................................... 12 2.2.2 Light, with special reference to greenhouses............................................................................... 13 2.2.3 Relative humidity, with special reference to greenhouses ...................................................... 13 2.2.4 Carbon dioxide in greenhouses ........................................................................................................ 13 2.2.5 Seed germination ................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2.6 Planting ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2.7 Soils .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 2.2.8 Trellising ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.9 Greenhouse cucumbers ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.2.10 Specific sensitivities ............................................................................................................................. 21 2.2.11 Yields ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.2.12 Harvesting ............................................................................................................................................... 23 2 3. Plant nutrients functions, optimal- and off-levels .......................................................................................... 25 3.1 Leaf analysis ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Nitrogen (N) .......................................................................................................................................................... 26 3.2.1 Nitrogen application form: nitrate, ammonium, urea and ammonia .................................. 26 3.2.2 Nitrogen deficiency ................................................................................................................................ 27 3.2.3 Excessive nitrogen .................................................................................................................................. 28 3.3 Phosphorus (P) .................................................................................................................................................... 29 3.3.1 Phosphorus deficiency .......................................................................................................................... 29 3.3.2 Phosphorus toxicity ............................................................................................................................... 31 3.4 Potassium (K) ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 3.4.1 The role of potassium in cucumber nutrition ............................................................................... 31 3.4.2 Potassium enhances cucumber yield .............................................................................................. 33 a) Soilless on peat bags, potassium applied by fertigation .................................................... 33 b) Open field, potassium applied by side dressing ................................................................... 34 3.4.3 Potassium enhances cucumber disease resistance .................................................................... 34 3.4.4 Potassium deficiency symptoms ....................................................................................................... 35 3.4.5 Interrelationships between potassium and other nutrients ................................................... 37 3.5 Calcium (Ca) ......................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.6 Magnesium (Mg) ................................................................................................................................................ 38 3.7 Sulfur (S)................................................................................................................................................................. 39 3.8 Manganese (Mn) ................................................................................................................................................. 39 3.9 Iron (Fe) .................................................................................................................................................................. 40 3.10 Boron (B) ............................................................................................................................................................. 42 3.11 Zinc (Zn) .............................................................................................................................................................. 43 3.12 Molybdenum (Mo)........................................................................................................................................... 45 3.13 Copper (Cu) ........................................................................................................................................................ 45 4. Fertilization Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 47 4.1 Nutrients demand/uptake/removal ............................................................................................................ 47 4.2 Generic fertilizers recommendations .......................................................................................................... 48 4.2.1 General fertilizing principles for cucumbers ................................................................................. 48 5. Haifa’s fertilization recommendations ................................................................................................................ 57 5.1 Fertilizers recommendations for a variety of growth conditions ..................................................... 57 5.1.1 Open-field using granular N-P-K fertilizers .................................................................................... 57 5.1.2 Open-field using fully water soluble N-P-K fertilizers and fertigation setup ..................... 57 5.1.3 Greenhouse and tunnels ...................................................................................................................... 58 5.2 Haifa NutriNet™ web software for Nutrigation™ programs ................................................................ 64