DeLaRue:


1. Climatic, environmental and soil conditions plus disease pressure in the South of the country can make growing tomato a major challenge. Against this backdrop, growing a determinate variety where nursery to harvesting can be completed in a relatively short time makes more sense. The longer your tomato plants remain in the open soil, the greater the risk of a devastating disease.

2. Unless you have a contract to supply buyers like supermarkets at a decent fixed price, there's no point taking the risk with indeterminate tomato plants for 4 or 5 months or more. Prices are often too low in the open markets to justify wasting all that time.

3. Determinate gives you an opportunity to harvest most of your fruits over a short period. This is perfect for targeting mid - May to late June when tomato price is highest in this country.

Good luck.

wow! this z quite educative! u have said it all, no wonder those experienced farmers don't do "long term harvest crops"
pls do mind to address d workability of polybags for tomato.
nd are there disease tolerant alternative varieties to cobra nd padma, a neighbour who collects my rabbit urine did experimental portions f d 2 varieties nd said market women gave a lot f negative reviews abt taste nd shape, d thing weak me sha

okoroemeka:
tomatoes,we will definitely summon the courage to do that next year,one basket sold for ₦30k mid may-june this year at onitsha army barracks market,for that sort of money in tomatoes at that period it's time we put on our thinking caps.

Onitsha dey learn where Uyo dey! price f commodities go scare even dangote...I got 5 bad looking tomato fruits for 200 nd a coke bottle sized cucumber 4 d same price 1 month ago. dt alone made me wise!

okoroemeka:
the weight of the water coming down is too heavy not dispersed and shower like rain,it knocks young cucumbers off the nylon ropes,breaks tender stems,strips flowers from crops,even cause erosion.i don't know if we didn't set the nozzle properly but we engaged the services of several techs and still same outcome.simply go and get drip irrigation and save yourself unnecessary headache.

.
What size of raingun did u use? I usually thought that breaker that ''slaps' the water repeatedly will effectively break the droplet size.

DeLaRue:


In addition to what Mr Okoroemeka said:

1. rain gun will splash water all over the cucumber plant thus increasing the likelihood of disease.

2. drip tape uses between 80 - 90% less water compared to watering with rain gun.

3. during harmattan, from leaving the rain gun to landing on the soil, up to 20% of the water could be lost to evaporation.

Unless you absolutely have no choice, drip irrigation is superior to rain gun in cucumber farming.

.
Thanks. I was considering raingun because of whitefly problem.

DeLaRue:


Probably not a good idea to immediately replant the same location. Truth is even if you plant in another area of your farm, it is highly likely DM will also be present there since it is air borne.

For many farmers, relief from DM will not come until the rains are gone.

How long after the rains are gone should I expect to start replanting. My cucumber farm was devastated by DM, and I just cleared them last week, but the rains ain't here again.

Surprisingly, even though most of the cukes didn't produce fruit, I was surprised to see that some produced, although fear no gree me sell them sha. I just left them all in d farm

Wizs2019:


So my people total harvest numbers from this cucumber planting season:

Jorad section: 146 bags
Cu999 section : 324 bags
Total harvest: 470 bags

We didn't quite make the 500 bags but I am so grateful to God. More than 100% return on total investment in approximately 8 weeks. However there is plenty of room for improvements. Another area of my farm is currently been prepared, it is slightly smaller at about 4 plots than the one used to get the quoted harvest, but the target this time is 500 bags.

Wish me luck!

PS. Bros Emeka, have you planted yet? You definitely need to install drip irrigation on your farm because with this system in place you can definitely get your target of 50 bags over an half plot area (and with fertigation it should be relatively easy). I am working on putting some useful material (cucumber planting instructions, best practices and the recipe I am currently using and still developing) together for the public audience in this thread. Watch this space!

My God bless you
for your willingness

Wizs2019:


So my people total harvest numbers from this cucumber planting season:

Jorad section: 146 bags
Cu999 section : 324 bags
Total harvest: 470 bags

We didn't quite make the 500 bags but I am so grateful to God. More than 100% return on total investment in approximately 8 weeks. However there is plenty of room for improvements. Another area of my farm is currently been prepared, it is slightly smaller at about 4 plots than the one used to get the quoted harvest, but the target this time is 500 bags.

Wish me luck!

PS. Bros Emeka, have you planted yet? You definitely need to install drip irrigation on your farm because with this system in place you can definitely get your target of 50 bags over an half plot area (and with fertigation it should be relatively easy). I am working on putting some useful material (cucumber planting instructions, best practices and the recipe I am currently using and still developing) together for the public audience in this thread. Watch this space!

Nice job sir
You av been a source of motivation to this thread sir
can I get your contact or whatsapp number sir

Yemighty2:




Nice job sir
You av been a source of motivation to this thread sir
can I get your contact or whatsapp number sir

Hi Yemighty2, You can easily contact me via email however I really prefer addressing any queries openly so we can learn and comment together.

God bless.

Yampotatocarrot:


How long after the rains are gone should I expect to start replanting. My cucumber farm was devastated by DM, and I just cleared them last week, but the rains ain't here again.

Surprisingly, even though most of the cukes didn't produce fruit, I was surprised to see that some produced, although fear no gree me sell them sha. I just left them all in d farm

I personally stopped new cucumber planting a couple of weeks ago, but that's because September is the worst time for persistent rain in my area. I fear DM will be particularly problematic then. I have moved to cabbage for now.

However, it's a personal decision. If you're ready to battle DM, you don't have to stop planting. Start applying fungicide early and stick to a spraying rota religiously. This should help you to manage DM and lead to a fruitful harvest. Go back a few pages and read Mr Okoroemeka's spraying recommendation.

Finally, you should be selling the cucumbers your DM infested plants are producing. They're good to eat. Just make sure to pack only straight & perfectly formed ones as market women usually will not accept badly shaped cucumbers. In my experience, DM result in a lot of badly shaped cucumbers.

I noticed my cucumber are curving and the leaves are very green and healthy...... What could possibly be the cause ?

DeLaRue:


I personally stopped new cucumber planting a couple of weeks ago, but that's because September is the worst time for persistent rain in my area. I fear DM will be particularly problematic then. I have moved to cabbage for now.

However, it's a personal decision. If you're ready to battle DM, you don't have to stop planting. Start applying fungicide early and stick to a spraying rota religiously. This should help you to manage DM and lead to a fruitful harvest. Go back a few pages and read Mr Okoroemeka's spraying recommendation.

Finally, you should be selling the cucumbers your DM infested plants are producing. They're good to eat. Just make sure to pack only straight & perfectly formed ones as market women usually will not accept badly shaped cucumbers. In my experience, DM result in a lot of badly shaped cucumbers.

.
Pls, does cabbage like rain? How easy is it to grow?

Wow what a read... So it took me 2 days to go from page 1 to page 39. I must honestly commend Mr Emeka for this thread, it has really broaden my knowledge though I am still far from where I want to be.

It's past 2 am and can't sleep, pondering and calculating on my next move.

My little story

I got a job, started on the 1 first of August and quit on the second because I am determined to make success out of farming. Not like I have all the needed tools and resources but I believe with kind people on this forum, I will be able pull it off.

Right now, I am really counting on Everybody from @okoroemeka to @Wizs2019, @FarmTech @FMCASH and a host of others I may not have mentioned.

I currently have 1 hectare of land close to ofada in ogun state and I have commenced land preparation basically on hermicide and ploughing.

I intend to plant 3 different crops on the land including cucumber occupying one acre. I have plans for drip irrigation, staking etc.

I was thinking pepaper on the other acre but since Oga Emeka is advising against it due to rain I am thinking of replacing it with another crope.

While on the last acre I intend farming potato on it. Just to have a balance of from a high risk to low risk crops.

I am hoping with your kind advice, gestures and help I will be able to pull this off.

@Wizs2019 I will really apprecrate it if I can come meet you in person on your farm.

Once aagain, i am glad to have come across this page. Thank you

benardj3:
I noticed my cucumber are curving and the leaves are very green and healthy...... What could possibly be the cause ?

deformed fruits can be the results of pollination problems,I read an article that said cukes female flower must be visited by bees for a minimum of ten times to produce perfect shape fruits,seems you have shortage of bees in that farm,stop using insecticide for the meantime let's see if the bees will come back.

FarmTech:

.
Pls, does cabbage like rain? How easy is it to grow?

not that cabbage likes rain like rice,but it loves the cool weather that comes with the rainy season,the major issue I see in cabbage farming is bolting,if the temperature steps into the 30c range is a problem,but now we are having average mean temperature in the 20c and issa goal.

4words:
Wow what a read... So it took me 2 days to go from page 1 to page 39. I must honestly commend Mr Emeka for this thread, it has really broaden my knowledge though I am still far from where I want to be.

It's past 2 am and can't sleep, pondering and calculating on my next move.

My little story

I got a job, started on the 1 first of August and quit on the second because I am determined to make success out of farming. Not like I have all the needed tools and resources but I believe with kind people on this forum, I will be able pull it off.

Right now, I am really counting on Everybody from @okoroemeka to @Wizs2019, @FarmTech @FMCASH and a host of others I may not have mentioned.

I currently have 1 hectare of land close to ofada in ogun state and I have commenced land preparation basically on hermicide and ploughing.

I intend to plant 3 different crops on the land including cucumber occupying one acre. I have plans for drip irrigation, staking etc.

I was thinking pepaper on the other acre but since Oga Emeka is advising against it due to rain I am thinking of replacing it with another crope.

While on the last acre I intend farming potato on it. Just to have a balance of from a high risk to low risk crops.

I am hoping with your kind advice, gestures and help I will be able to pull this off.

@Wizs2019 I will really apprecrate it if I can come meet you in person on your farm.

Once aagain, i am glad to have come across this page. Thank you

haaahaaa!!!wizs2019 is the new MVP in town,a confirmed no nonsense badass farmer,I was actually reading a write up by our analysts about safety in applying farmyard manure,while it's common sense to wear gloves and protect yourself well,going as far as wearing full body covering,oxygen mask ,eye goggles,etc is laughable ,if u try working under the sun with a full body covering you will understand what I mean,and also saying that manure causes cancer is clearly an indication that most people are far away from reality.and@4words watch this space keenly I will be going to NIHORT to check out their improved okra varieties today,so you can plan for okra on that your land,it's low maintenance,less labor and prices are good now.

DeLaRue:


I personally stopped new cucumber planting a couple of weeks ago, but that's because September is the worst time for persistent rain in my area. I fear DM will be particularly problematic then. I have moved to cabbage for now.

However, it's a personal decision. If you're ready to battle DM, you don't have to stop planting. Start applying fungicide early and stick to a spraying rota religiously. This should help you to manage DM and lead to a fruitful harvest. Go back a few pages and read Mr Okoroemeka's spraying recommendation.

Finally, you should be selling the cucumbers your DM infested plants are producing. They're good to eat. Just make sure to pack only straight & perfectly formed ones as market women usually will not accept badly shaped cucumbers. In my experience, DM result in a lot of badly shaped cucumbers.

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. I believe the worse is over when it comes to rainfall in my own area, also I'm all about maximising available land (my farm is just about half plots, and I believe cukes will produce highest compared to other veggies, reason I'm sticking with cukes).

I was worried the DM infected cukes will have a negative effect on human health, reason I didn't bother selling them, now I know better.

okoroemeka:
haaahaaa!!!wizs2019 is the new MVP in town,a confirmed no nonsense badass farmer,I was actually reading a write up by our analysts about safety in applying farmyard manure,while it's common sense to wear gloves and protect yourself well,going as far as wearing full body covering,oxygen mask ,eye goggles,etc is laughable ,if u try working under the sun with a full body covering you will understand what I mean,and also saying that manure causes cancer is clearly an indication that most people are far away from reality.and@4words watch this space keenly I will be going to NIHORT to check out their improved okra varieties today,so you can plan for okra on that your land,it's low maintenance,less labor and prices are good now.

The highest I did when applying poultry manure was wrap something around my hands, although I think spraying insecticide might require the nose mask.

However, my search for rabbit manure still continues, aside it has been said severally here to be better than poultry, I'm also damn sure it won't be as heavy as poultry manure, cos poultry manure is so so heavy to carry, walahi

okoroemeka:
haaahaaa!!!wizs2019 is the new MVP in town,a confirmed no nonsense badass farmer,I was actually reading a write up by our analysts about safety in applying farmyard manure,while it's common sense to wear gloves and protect yourself well,going as far as wearing full body covering,oxygen mask ,eye goggles,etc is laughable ,if u try working under the sun with a full body covering you will understand what I mean,and also saying that manure causes cancer is clearly an indication that most people are far away from reality.and@4words watch this space keenly I will be going to NIHORT to check out their improved okra varieties today,so you can plan for okra on that your land,it's low maintenance,less labor and prices are good now.

please do update us about the okro when you return sir.
Thanks!

okoroemeka:
haaahaaa!!!wizs2019 is the new MVP in town,a confirmed no nonsense badass farmer,I was actually reading a write up by our analysts about safety in applying farmyard manure,while it's common sense to wear gloves and protect yourself well,going as far as wearing full body covering,oxygen mask ,eye goggles,etc is laughable ,if u try working under the sun with a full body covering you will understand what I mean,and also saying that manure causes cancer is clearly an indication that most people are far away from reality.and@4words watch this space keenly I will be going to NIHORT to check out their improved okra varieties today,so you can plan for okra on that your land,it's low maintenance,less labor and prices are good now.

Thank you boss, I will do just that, I will patiently wait and I will equally update this space as I proceed on my journey into the agric world.

I am waiting for @Wizs2019 response on farm visitation. I pray he grants me this request.

Once again Thank you

4words:
Wow what a read... So it took me 2 days to go from page 1 to page 39. I must honestly commend Mr Emeka for this thread, it has really broaden my knowledge though I am still far from where I want to be.

It's past 2 am and can't sleep, pondering and calculating on my next move.

My little story

I got a job, started on the 1 first of August and quit on the second because I am determined to make success out of farming. Not like I have all the needed tools and resources but I believe with kind people on this forum, I will be able pull it off.

Right now, I am really counting on Everybody from @okoroemeka to @Wizs2019, @FarmTech @FMCASH and a host of others I may not have mentioned.

I currently have 1 hectare of land close to ofada in ogun state and I have commenced land preparation basically on hermicide and ploughing.

I intend to plant 3 different crops on the land including cucumber occupying one acre. I have plans for drip irrigation, staking etc.

I was thinking pepaper on the other acre but since Oga Emeka is advising against it due to rain I am thinking of replacing it with another crope.

While on the last acre I intend farming potato on it. Just to have a balance of from a high risk to low risk crops.

I am hoping with your kind advice, gestures and help I will be able to pull this off.

@Wizs2019 I will really apprecrate it if I can come meet you in person on your farm.

Once aagain, i am glad to have come across this page. Thank you

As a brother I will advice you to do tomato this time and do cucumber dry season, cucumber wahala is too compare tomato, chili and bell pepper. I'm close to you, I'm in Owode Egba. You can give a call.

FMCASH:


As a brother I will advice you to do tomato this time and do cucumber dry season, cucumber wahala is too compare tomato, chili and bell pepper. I'm close to you, I'm in Owode Egba. You can give a call.

Is it d same obafemi/owode or d one after cannanland?

Yampotatocarrot:


The highest I did when applying poultry manure was wrap something around my hands, although I think spraying insecticide might require the nose mask.

However, my search for rabbit manure still continues, aside it has been said severally here to be better than poultry, I'm also damn sure it won't be as heavy as poultry manure, cos poultry manure is so so heavy to carry, walahi

heavy die... Especially the wet one oh Jesus. When applying it on the soil is even the worst. I had to pour them on the ground then mix sand with it. Kaii.. I suffer o

So chicken manure causes cancer? I've inhaled so many while applying. I even use my bare hands

OluchiDelly:

Is it d same obafemi/owode or d one after cannanland?

obafemi, the one. close to isiun

okoroemeka:
deformed fruits can be the results of pollination problems,I read an article that said cukes female flower must be visited by bees for a minimum of ten times to produce perfect shape fruits,seems you have shortage of bees in that farm,stop using insecticide for the meantime let's see if the bees will come back.

OK, thanks.

vosquare:

heavy die... Especially the wet one oh Jesus. When applying it on the soil is even the worst. I had to pour them on the ground then mix sand with it. Kaii.. I suffer o

Compost your manure for at least 6 months before using it.

It's crazy what you guys are doing, touching manure with bare hands. smh. Na wa o.

You get plenty money for hospital bills o.

excanny:


Compost your manure for at least 6 months before using it.

It's crazy what you guys are doing, touching manure with bare hands. smh. Na wa o.

You get plenty money for hospital bills o.

How do i do that?

vosquare:

How do i do that?

Get a large bin with tight cover. After pouring manure into it, put a carbon source(smooth sawdust, dry grasses, shredded papers, etc) on top. You turn the mixture together once in a week. And cover up. Like that for 6 months.

By then, the pathogens would have died off and it will be odourless. You can then mix with soil for your nurseries or as side-dressing on your farm.

vosquare:
So chicken manure causes cancer? I've inhaled so many while applying. I even use my bare hands

Loooooooooooooooool, I think there is something wrong with that analysis

vosquare:

heavy die... Especially the wet one oh Jesus. When applying it on the soil is even the worst. I had to pour them on the ground then mix sand with it. Kaii.. I suffer o

Abeg, u don find alternative?

Any poultry farmer in Lagos should please indicate, I'll need your assistance

excanny:


Compost your manure for at least 6 months before using it.

It's crazy what you guys are doing, touching manure with bare hands. smh. Na wa o.

You get plenty money for hospital bills o.

That's why we seeking for alternative like rabbit's own

FMCASH:


As a brother I will advice you to do tomato this time and do cucumber dry season, cucumber wahala is too compare tomato, chili and bell pepper. I'm close to you, I'm in Owode Egba. You can give a call.

tomato glut is jst arnd d corner unless ur zone z special! or maybe u have special marketing strategies available