Cucumber Hokus

Hokus Cucumber

Saqueta Individual

€1,50

Hokus is a reliable pickling cucumber with an exceptionally long harvest window, making it ideal for those who want to fill their shelves with pickles throughout the summer.

About the variety. Angular, green fruits, small in size (10–15 g), with white-green flesh and thin skin. The plant is semi-determinate and climbs up to 30 cm. Regular harvesting — always while the fruits are small — improves yield, texture and flavour.

€1,50

Itinerário técnico

Como cultivar hokus cucumber?

Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.

pH ideal 6.5 and 7.0Temperatura ideal 22 to 24°C

Sementeira

Usually started in trays, with transplanting carried out 3 to 4 weeks later when the plants have 2 to 4 true leaves.

Solo

The crop prefers clayey, fertile and well-drained soils, with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0.

Clima

Prefers warm weather, with daytime temperatures of at least 22 to 24°C and 20°C at night; otherwise, malformations in the pollen tube may occur. Soil temperature at planting time should be at least 16 to 18°C.

Fertilização

Not being among the most demanding crops, it is nonetheless advisable to incorporate some compost before planting.

Rega

Due to varying needs throughout the growing cycle, drip irrigation may be the most suitable option. Proper watering leads to a staggered harvest, which can be very rewarding.

Controlo de Infestantes

Mulching is a good option, whether with plastic or organic materials, reducing weed competition with the crop and the contact of cucumbers with the soil, which can lead to rot.

Controlo de Pragas

Mites, aphids, cutworms, leaf-miner larvae, whitefly, root-knot nematodes and thrips. For mite control, biological control with predatory mites should be carried out and, if necessary, the use of azadirachtin or sulphur powder (if temperature <28°C). Aphids are controlled through moderate fertilisation without excess nitrogen, natural limitation with border hedgerows to favour beneficial insects, biological control with parasitoid or predatory hymenoptera, and, if necessary, potassium soap or azadirachtin may also be used. Cutworms can be controlled by avoiding the use of poorly composted material, baiting with bran + molasses + Bacillus thuringiensis on the soil next to the crop, the use of Bacillus thuringiensis as a spray, or biological control with Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes. Leaf-miner larvae can be controlled through biological control with parasitoid hymenoptera, natural limitation using hedgerows and other nectar-producing plants that support beneficial insects, and, if necessary, by using azadirachtin. Whitefly is controlled through moderate fertilisation (without excess nitrogen), avoiding transplanting already infested plants, placing yellow sticky traps for detection, biological control with parasitoid hymenoptera and predatory mites, and, if necessary, by applying azadirachtin. Root-knot nematodes are controlled through crop rotations, biofumigation and soil solarisation. Thrips should be controlled through the use of border plants favourable to anthocorid beneficial insects (such as marigolds and other composites) and biological control with predatory mites and anthocorids.

Doenças

Powdery mildew and grey mould are important diseases of this crop. To control powdery mildew, wide plant spacing and moderate fertilisation without excess nitrogen should be used, and if necessary, dusting-grade sulphur powder applied alone or combined with lithothamne (1:1) as a dust, which is less phytotoxic than pure sulphur. Regarding grey mould, diseased plant debris should be removed, excessive plant vigour and water on the plants avoided, and bentonite clay applied.