Cucumber cultivation in greenhouses, with rapid plant and fruit growth and several harvest cycles each year, demands a lot from the plant. Therefore, as a grower, it is especially important that you can work with plants that withstand abiotic stress. By using our fertilisers and biostimulants from the very start your cucumber plants will be stronger.
A young cucumber plant that has been made more robust, resilient, strong and firm during propagation will yield first-class high-quality cucumbers later during the growing phase. Therefore, talk to your propagator and ensure that the young plants are treated with our CE fertiliser ArgicinPlus, that contains both orthosilicic acid (silicon), willow bark extract and colloidal silver.
Due to these effects, it is always wise to use ArgicinPlus. ArgicinPlus can be combined with biological crop protection, with no safety term before harvest.
Recommended dosage/advice for use - ArgicinPlus in cucumber propagation
With the CE marked biostimulants SalicylPure and SilicaPower, you immediately make a huge impact right at the start of commercial growing in terms of growth, root development and robustness.
The silicon in SilicaPower strengthens the cell walls and epidermis of the leaf, improves distribution and absorption of nutrients, improves the internal transport of water and therefore reduces drought stress. It is known that when leaves are stronger (physical barrier) they are less susceptible to infections and to piercing pests. Later on in the growth phase, SilicaPower will ensure that cucumbers have a stronger and therefore less vulnerable skin.
SalicylPure mainly improves the cucumber plant’s self-healing capacity and root development. It is evident from real-life experience that after SalicylPure is applied, the plant produces fruit earlier on and, on average, these cucumbers are 25 grams heavier.
Recommended dosage/advice for use – SalicylPure and SilicaPower in commercial growing of cucumbers
You can administer both products via irrigation (dose from the A fertiliser feeder or separate fertiliser injector based on the aforementioned doses), or you can spray. If you spray, an adjusted dose: 0.5 litres/ha/week (and 0.4 litres/ha/week in high wire crops) applies specifically to SilicaPower.
The (organic) substrates or perlite on which many cucumbers are grown under glass, do not contain any nutrients or soil life initially. Everything that the plant needs for growth has to be supplied. Your cucumber plants will thrive best with a uniform root environment and balanced soil life in which roots can develop and grow. To give soil life a helping hand, especially when the growing conditions are slightly less favourable, we recommend adding Soil Bac-1. This is our basic product for improving the microbiological soil life. Soil Bac-1 contains a Bacillus mix of gram positive bacteria that help with root formation and help to rebalance the soil life.
Recommended dosage/advice for use - Soil Bac-1
To grow your cucumber plants as stress-free as possible, the plants must always have plenty of feed water available to them. This means ensuring that no algae are present in the water basin/silo and that the irrigation system is free from blockages. To achieve this, our solution is to use our 100% natural water-maintenance products Blue Bac-1 and Blue-Bac-2.
Both Blue Bac products are bacterial products, each with their own bacteria and therefore a specific action. With Blue Bac-1, algae in basins are barely given the chance to grow. Plus, dead algae are more easily and effectively digested. In just a short period of time, your basin/silo will be clear and will remain clear.
Blue Bac-2 is most effective when used in the pipes and drippers of your irrigation system. The enzymes formed by the bacteria in Blue Bac-2 form a sort of very smooth coating on the inside of the pipes, which organic contaminants such as sand or phosphate deposits cannot adhere to. The use of Blue Bac-2 also has a positive effect on the root development of plants and helps you to maintain the pH (stability) of your feed water.
Recommended dosage/advice for use Blue Bac-1
Recommended dosage/advice for use Blue Bac-2
Important tip
The recommended products ArgicinPlus, SalicylPure and Soil Bac cannot be used in irrigation water to which hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or another product containing chlorine has been added. The ingredients in the recommended products are broken down in just five minutes. Blue Bac-1 and Blue Bac-2 are natural alternatives to H2O2 or other chemical disinfectants, such as hypochlorite. Contact our advisor to discuss our solution if you nevertheless wish to use hydrogen peroxide at the same time as ArgicinPlus, SalicylPure, or Soil Bac.
Additional advice?
Do you have any additional questions or would you like to know which biostimulants and CE fertilisers are best suited to your own growing situation? Contact your dealer or our advisor Alwin Scholten for appropriate advice. Call Alwin on telephone number +31 (0)6 49 33 49 30, or contact him by email alwin.scholten@plantosys.nl.
By applying our fertilisers and biostimulants, you will see various effects in your cucumber plants, such as:
Your contact person
Alwin Scholten