High Tunnel Cucumber Trial, 2012

Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program

Greenhouse cucumbers, if marketed successfully, can be a high revenue crop in tunnels. Advantages include:
-  High quality fruit
-  Decreased downy mildew
-  Quicker yields than tomatoes

Disadvantages include:
-  Powdery Mildew
-  Spider Mites
-  Higher labor than tomatoes

The Cornell Vegetable Program worked with several seed companies to conduct a variety trial of high tunnel cucumbers in 2012.

Conclusions
Cucumbers remain an underutilized crop in Northeast high tunnels. The varieties in this trial exceeded 10 lbs of fruit in just 10 weeks of production . As more tunnel growers look to create rotations which accommodate cool season greens, cucumbers provide greater flexibility than tomatoes, which require 6-7 months in the soil to reach maximum economic return. However, cucumbers are more likely to suffer from pests such as mites and thrips, which increases input costs for control measures. Labor on cucumbers is also higher than that of tomatoes.

Read the full report below.

The Cornell Vegetable Program and cooperating grower express gratitude to Harris Seed and Bejo Seed for their collaboration in this project.

2012 High Tunnel Cucumber Trial Full Report (pdf; 576KB)

SCRUB Twilight Workshop Series

September 1, 2021 : Bin Blitz

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September 8, 2021 : Low Cost and High Value

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September 15, 2021 : Wash/Pack Floors

Learn to improve or repair a concrete floor so that it is smooth and easy to clean. This workshop highlights concrete repair, cleaning and sanitation techniques, water management, products and resources, as well as show and tell from experienced growers, and Chris Callahan from UVM's Extension Ag Engineering.

September 22, 2021 : Wash Water Management

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September 29, 2021 : Tools for Employee Management and Empowerment

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