Single stem trellising and pruning of parthenocarpic cucumber in protected cultivation in Haryana.
4 Answers
In a polyhouse, grow parthenocarpic (seedless, gynoecious) cucumber hybrids on a single stem trained up plastic twine to an overhead wire. Plant on raised beds at about 40 to 45 cm in paired rows on drip, giving roughly 2.5 to 3 plants per square metre. Remove all side shoots and the fruit from the bottom 30 to 60 cm of stem so the plant establishes, then allow one fruit per node above that, and lower or layer the vine as it reaches the wire. This single stem system gives clean straight fruit and far higher marketable yield than ground culture. Confirm hybrid, plant density and fertigation with your KVK or the polyhouse supplier, since parthenocarpic types must be kept isolated from bees to avoid misshapen fruit.
I grow parthenocarpic cucumber on single stem in Karnal too and the deleafing of lower old leaves every week made a real difference to disease and fruit colour. Keep the wire high so you get a long picking period.
One thing to be careful of: keep the bees out completely. A few bees got into my polyhouse one season and the seedless fruit came out curved and bulged, which the buyer rejected.
A point on yield: keep one fruit per node above the bare lower stem and lower the vine when it reaches the wire. Letting it carry too many small fruits low down weakened my plants early.