Gherkin planting procedures and production techniques

The botanical name of Gherkin is Cucumis sativus var. angaria; it belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae

Varieties: Hybrids.

Soil: Comes up well in wide range of soils. Well-drained sandy loam with a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8 is optimum.

Season: Warm season crop requiring a moderately high temperature.

Seed rate: 800 g per hectare.

Sowing: Sow the seeds at 30 cm spacing on sides of the ridges with 2 seeds per hill after treating with Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas 10 g or carbendizim 2 g/kg of seeds.

Preparatory cultivation: Apply 25 t/ha of FYM. Prepare ridges and furrows one metre apart.

Manuring: Apply N - 150 kg, P - 75 kg and K - 100 kg/ha in 3 equal splits i.e., basal, three and five weeks after sowing.

After cultivation: Earth up the plants 25 days after sowing. Provide support to plants as and when vines start trailing.

Plant protection

Minor pest: For leaf miner, white fly, aphids and thrips spray dimethoate 1.5 ml/lit or

monocrotophos 1.5 ml/lit or malathion 1.5 ml/lit.

Diseases and protection 

Spray Carbendazim 0.05 % (0.5 g/lit) to control diseases.

Yield: 10 - 12 tonnes/ha in 90 days.