I decided to start this thread after reviewing my farm's performance over a six month period. Objective is to identify learning points and discussions on how future processes would be deployed. Focus would be on my cucumber project.

I started farming 'practically' this year.

Most of the efforts and finances were spent on farm set up. Things I did were:
Farm land purchase.
Land clearing (manual)
Tree stump removal (manual)
Ploughing
Bore hole construction
Sourcing farm hands (expatriates )

All the above cost a lot of funds and time. Despite starting the decision to go into full-time farming early in the year, planting did not start until march. In fact, cucumbers were planted the Friday before Presidential Elections (March 27th).

Initially, I planned on focusing on tomatoes. However, I came across Jasper's thread one day and I became interested.

I did a lot of research and discussed extensively with my mentors. Of note is Jasper who is undisputedly the professor of cucumbering, a silent female nairalander who is into vegetable farming and owns over 75 hectares of land, a young guy with lots of experience who assisted with info as regards a lot of things etc..

Land clearing....

Bush burning

Snakes....my greatest phobia

Land ploughed.

Bore hole construction...

...

Now, at this point, I practically ran out of cash.

I was left holding the bag.

My bore hole guy was a rip off and ran away at a point when water didn't come out despite all spendings. I learnt a bitter lesson. All construction contracts must be vide legal purchase orders with all agreements and details clearly spelt out. No implied terms whatsoever. In addition, all payments to the contractor must be by cheques or bank transfers and never by cash.

Now broke and no real farming in place, I put on many thinking caps... What could I do to have an income in the shortest possible time?

I decided to start with cucumbers since they have a short cycle.

I got 2 wonderful farm hands from Benin Republic. Language was a real barrier but we communicated via gestures.

My workers made beds on the already ploughed land with furrows suitable for irrigation.

More beds...

Where is your farm located? would like to visit your farm.

Subscribed!

Next, we applied fertilizer top dressing on the beds.

We used NPK 15.15.15

We also bought our cucumber seeds and waited for the rains to come.

Why rains? Well, the bore hole was not working and the guy was still giving one excuse or the other...

Finally, rains came and we literally planted in the rain during a rainfall...one of the coldest days I have ever witnessed.

abuyuunus:
Where is your farm located? would like to visit your farm.

Farm is located in wasimi (ewekoro local government), Ogun state.

You are welcome.

I planted one seed per hole.

Why?

The seeds were expensive and hybrid. No need wasting seeds especially with my 'resource-constrained' condition

I was lucky, rains followed in quick succession and they started sprouting. I replanted those that didn't germinate

FTL...first true leaf

Growth...

Irrigation trench was dug and pipes laid.

We waited for the almighty bore hole guy to complete his job but to no avail...

My plants grew.

Second stage fertilisation was done.

Things we didn't do:
We didn't stake
We didn't mulch
We didn't prune
We didn't irrigate

We did not stake and that's where our main problems started. ( more on this would be discussed later).

We did not mulch because of the attendant cost and lack of irrigation. If we plastic-mulch and prevent the little rain from getting into the soil, the plants could die.

We didn't prune since we didn't stake.

We didn't irrigate because the bore hole was in a state of 'higgi hagga' and I couldn't afford to call in another bore hole guy at that point. My account was virtually empty....

Now, its not about planning. I had a solid plan. My business plan was top notch. My farm plan was sweet.

Its about the fact that farming is more of practical and dynamic decision making than arm chair analysis.

I laugh when I see a lot of internet farmers who sell only ebooks and no farm produce.

If you think farming is like fixed deposit investments, you need a rethink.

To be continued....

Till when?

Nice work bro.

I spy the truck of the yellow sun....
You changed your mind about selling?

You're on point to be using irrigation. Keep it up.

Coldplay007:
I spy the truck of the yellow sun....
You changed your mind about selling?

Madam...seeing you in agric section gives me a turbo boost...truck of the yellow sun is gone..

FarmTech:
You're on point to be using irrigation. Keep it up.

Thanks sir

abuyuunus:
Till when?

Now

Agricexpert:
Nice work bro.

Thanks

We could have at least staked.

However, we had around 250 long beds (each bed approximately 5 metres long) of cucumber plants.

By our estimates, we would have needed over 1000 bamboo plants for the staking. That would imply either buying ( no fund) or cutting. Cutting would have been extremely tasking. Nearest bamboo shrub was some kilometres away.

So I took the risk and did not stake.

Upon further consultation, I decided to increase my pesticide application routines.

The plants grew and soon covered the soil.

Flowering and fruiting began.

I had bees visiting in the mornings ( a lot of bees) so pesticides were applied in the evening.

Rain came and went as it pleased....like a government worker.

Soon the fruits became bigger...and bigger...and longer.

I had giant sized cucumbers.

They were the biggest I have ever seen...and long.

But I had a challenge...a serious challenge.

The cucumbers were turning light and almost yellow on the sides placed on the soil.

I tried to correct this anomaly by using small stakes with ropes intertwined.

This helped only a little