Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Climate and Soil

Climate
Cucumber prefers slightly lower temperature than Water melon and Muskmelon. The optimum temperature is 26.40C. If the temperature goes above 300C, the production is reduced considerably .Seeds of cucumber geminates well if the day temperature is 20- 300C. It is essentially a warm season crop but is successfully grown in tropical, subtropical and temperature regions. This is very susceptible to frost. Excess humidity promotes disease like Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, anthracnose & pests such as fruitfly.

Soil
The soils should not crack in summer and should not be water logged in rainy season. The soil PH should be 6-7.A well drained loamy soil is preferred for cucumber. Lighter soils that warm quickly in spring are usually used for early yields. In heavier soils vine growth will be greater and fruits mature late. In sandy river beds, alluvial substrate and subterranean moisture of river streams support cucurbits.