Business plan for growing cucumbers. Business idea - growing cucumbers Cucumber business how to start

In Russia, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been allocated for growing cucumbers. But demand for domestic agricultural products is steadily growing with the ban on the import of European fruits and vegetables. Existing farms can hardly cover the shortage of products in this market niche. This gives entrepreneurs an excellent chance of launching a profitable business. Growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse is a profitable direction that will allow you to receive high profits. But to organize a large farm you will have to invest a lot of time and effort.

Our business assessment:

Starting investments – from 100,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 5/10.

What is important to consider when drawing up a business plan for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse? How to organize a business that will generate a consistently high income?

Why greenhouse cultivation?

Cucumbers can be grown in open ground and in a greenhouse. In the first case, business activity will completely depend on weather conditions - if the season does not offer sunny days, you may not expect a big harvest.

Growing cucumbers in a film greenhouse does not have this drawback, since the greenhouse provides the necessary microclimatic conditions for rapid growth of the crop. The result is a high yield of quality vegetables. In addition, the farmer has the opportunity to supply finished products to the market all year round, because even in winter there is no need to stop agricultural work.

Industrial cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse as a business has only one significant drawback compared to the ground method - higher costs for starting a business. It is necessary to prepare high-quality greenhouses.

• The cost of production is significantly lower than the selling price, which guarantees high income.
• High demand for fresh vegetables will quickly recoup all costs.
• There is the possibility of cooperation with both large hypermarket chains and private buyers.
• Growing and caring for plantings is not difficult - even a novice summer resident can master the job.

Official registration of business

According to the law, it is possible not to officially register a business if the spruce is grown on an area not exceeding 2 hectares. But these are huge areas that will allow you to collect tens of tons of cucumbers annually! You will not need to prepare a package of documents and certify your products, which will significantly reduce your start-up investment.

Without a registered individual entrepreneur or LLC, you will not have the opportunity to cooperate with large clients - wholesale warehouses and stores. In this case, the only way to sell vegetables will be retail or small wholesale sales to private clients.

Have you planned to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter for sale to wholesale customers? Then be sure to register your activities! You will have the opportunity to cooperate with legal entities - and this is the best market for an entrepreneur. And if all the rules for organizing a business are followed, there is a chance to receive a government subsidy for your farm.

The OKVED code used when registering an enterprise is 01.12.1. In the future, you will work at a single tax rate of 6%, which exempts the entrepreneur from paying property taxes and VAT.

If you are going to sell vegetables in your own region, then you do not need to certify and declare your products. Take care to prepare the appropriate documents only if you are sending cucumbers to another region or country.

Selecting a place for growing greenhouse cucumbers

A year-round growing business plan should include choosing a suitable location to conduct business. Cucumbers are cultivated in almost all regions of Russia. And since the process will be carried out in artificially created conditions, weather conditions and soil composition are not as important as if the technology of professional cultivation in open ground was used.

The best option for organizing a business is your own dacha. This will significantly reduce your startup costs. Isn't there one? Then look for offers for renting land plots. Choose a place located away from the city and large industrial enterprises - vegetables grown in an ecologically clean area will become your competitive advantage. In the future, when things go uphill, the plot can be purchased from the owner.

Enter into a lease agreement for a long term. This is much cheaper and you have a guarantee that the owner will not require you to leave your “home” at the height of the season.

Arrangement of a site for growing greenhouse cucumbers

New technologies, a variety of equipment and consumables allow an entrepreneur to organize a business taking into account available finances. The minimum “equipment” of the site will only require the presence of heated greenhouses. Running a large farm is impossible without additional equipment - automatic watering systems, trucks, cultivators.

Consider the proposals of suppliers and choose suitable industrial greenhouses that will allow you to grow vegetables all year round. Polycarbonate structures are more popular among businessmen due to the ideal price-quality ratio. Growing cucumbers in winter in a polycarbonate greenhouse shows good yields and makes it much easier for workers to care for the plantings.

Calculate the number of greenhouses based on the planned sales volumes of vegetables. An excellent option for beginners are structures with a usable area of ​​35 m2. Here, if all the features of the growing process are followed, up to 3 tons of cucumbers can be harvested from each meter annually.

At first, in order to grow cucumbers in a winter greenhouse and make a sufficient profit, 3 designs will be enough.

There is a huge selection of greenhouses on the market, varying in size and functional features. The design must be:

• heated,
• well lit,
• high.

The cost of industrial structures varies widely, starting from 100,000 rubles. You can save money if you organize the lighting and heating of the greenhouse yourself, additionally purchasing lamps and heating boilers.

If there is a lack of funding, plan to independently build a greenhouse for growing cucumbers all year round. In this case, you will only have to purchase consumables.

At first, it is not necessary to purchase additional equipment. But the profitability of the business will be higher if you buy irrigation systems (from 50,000 rubles), cultivators (from 30,000 rubles), mini-tractors (from 300,000 rubles). The site will also require utility rooms for storing collected vegetables, work equipment, seeds and fertilizers.

What variety of cucumbers should I grow?

In order for growing early cucumbers in a greenhouse to be profitable, the choice of variety is important. Breeders have bred many types of vegetables that produce good yields in greenhouse conditions. Choose only reliable suppliers!

When choosing a cucumber variety, pay attention to its ripening time. Early ripening vegetables (40-60 days) are perfect - this way you can harvest more often.

Hybrids Herman, Hercules, Annushka, Emelya, Dynamite, Courage show good germination. You can buy plant seeds or ready-made seedlings. The cost of seed material is from 1,500 rubles per 1,000 seeds.

Conditions for growing greenhouse cucumbers

A warm greenhouse provides the plantings with the necessary microclimatic conditions. But human participation is certainly required! If you plan to open a large peasant farm, then you cannot do it without outside help - you will need to hire 2-3 employees to carry out land work. This will entail additional costs, but will also increase the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Let us indicate the important conditions for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse:

• regular watering,
• constant treatment of plants with drugs against diseases and pests,
• loosening and fertilizing the soil.

Harvesting occurs as the vegetables ripen. Before sale, products are stored in a dry, dark room. Wooden boxes are used.

It would be great if you have the opportunity to consult with an experienced farmer. You will learn what methods of growing cucumbers are put into practice and delve into the secrets of caring for plantings.

Calculating profits from doing business

The costs of setting up a business will begin to pay off very quickly - after the sale of the first wholesale batch of goods. The technology of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in winter and summer implies year-round profit, which allows the entrepreneur to avoid seasonal downtime. But in the winter months, due to higher prices for vegetables, the sales volume will be slightly lower.

A greenhouse for growing cucumbers all year round, purchasing seeds and fertilizers, renting a plot and registering a business will require an investment of at least 300,000 rubles from the organizer. And this is far from the limit. To automate the process using watering stations and vehicles, you will need at least another 400,000 rubles.

You can reduce capital investments if you build a small heated greenhouse with your own hands and organize cultivation on your own country plot - you can easily meet the cost of 100,000 rubles. But don't expect big profits here.

A well-thought-out technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse allows you to harvest up to 100 tons of vegetables annually from one large greenhouse with a useful area of ​​35 m2. Wholesale prices vary greatly depending on the season. If you calculate the average cost of cucumbers, taking into account price jumps over the year, you get approximately 40-60 rubles/kg. It turns out that sales income with full sales of the crop can reach 6,000,000 rubles/year. This is an ideal case, and a novice farmer’s profit will probably be significantly lower - plant diseases, product spoilage, and sales markets that have not yet been established.

When calculating net profit, variable costs are taken into account - payment of bills for electricity and water, purchase of fertilizers and remedies for diseases and pests, replenishment of seeds. On average, one greenhouse will generate net income of at least 50,000 rubles per month. At the height of the season, this figure increases significantly - up to 200,000 rubles per month.

Methods of growing cucumbers in greenhouses that have been established over the years guarantee the entrepreneur a stable business. If you find regular buyers of vegetables, then there will be no problems with sales, and all investments in organizing a farm will pay off in less than 2 years.

Many people are probably interested in the question of whether it is possible to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse all year round. In fact, fresh, juicy and crispy cucumbers in the refrigerator in winter, even in the most northern regions, are not just a dream, but a real reality. Of course, this will require creating ideal conditions for cultivating this vegetable, and, as we know, these can only be achieved in greenhouse conditions. Also, the farmer will need to work hard.

Before starting this activity, so that the invested effort is not wasted, the technology of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, which has its own nuances, must first be studied. Firstly, there are bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic groups of cucumbers, and not all of them are suitable for an artificially created environment. Therefore, it all starts with choosing a cucumber variety.

There are two main varieties of cucumbers for growing in a greenhouse. The first option is better to cultivate in natural conditions, and the second is most acceptable to plant in greenhouses. This is explained by the fact that insects will not be able to fly into the greenhouse, or they can, but in insufficient quantities; therefore, the first group will need to be pollinated daily with your own hands, which will add additional trouble to the gardener.

In addition, not everyone knows how to carry out proper pollination, and if the gardener makes a mistake in something, the plant ovaries will simply fall off. In a word, the agricultural technology of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, first of all, includes the correct selection of the variety, and this moment must be treated with all the attention.

The most common and well-proven cucumbers include the following greenhouse varieties:

1. High-yielding hybrid cucumbers F1 include: “Swallowtail”, “Hercules”, “Emelya”, “Dynamite”, “Hummingbird”, “Maisky”, “Buyan”, “Twixie” and others.
2. Despite their unpretentiousness, good yields are observed in the varieties “Manul”, “Granata” and “Moskovsky Greenhouse”.
3. Varieties such as “Rossiysky”, “Marfinsky”, “Domashny”, “Relay” and “Regatta” are distinguished by their shade tolerance and adaptability to low humidity temperatures.

Secondly, there are other features of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse that should be studied step by step. This includes the preparation of seeds and soil, as well as further care of the plants until the harvest as a whole.

So, what other secrets are there for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse? Let's look at each process in more detail.

Seeds

After the seeds of the desired variety have been purchased, they should be prepared for sowing and planted correctly. Each process has individual rules.

Preparing for sowing

At this stage, you first need to calibrate the seeds. Next, they are disinfected. To do this, they are placed in a cloth for half a day, which must be moistened in an aqueous solution of copper sulfate, boric acid and nitrophoska (a pinch of copper sulfate and boric acid, as well as 1 tsp of nitrophoska are added to 1 liter).

After this, the seeds are rinsed with plain water and placed in the refrigerator for hardening. The seeds are first placed between layers of gauze, which must be constantly moistened during the process. This procedure is carried out for a week at zero temperature.

Sowing and growing seeds

In heated greenhouses, you can sow cucumber seeds at any time, since it is easy to set the temperature regime there to 23-25 ​​degrees, which is necessary for their germination. But if the structure is unheated, then the seeds will have to be sown at home. It is better to do this in the first half of April, so that by mid-May you can plant the finished seedlings in the greenhouse.

Note! After the first shoots appear, the daytime temperature in the room should be reduced to 15-18 degrees and the night temperature to 12 degrees.

To sow seeds, it is better to use low containers: pots, plastic cups, and so on. Each of them is planted in a separate container and deepened into the soil by 2 cm. The seedlings are watered every 2 days, periodically feeding them with a mullein solution (proportion 1:6).

Preparing to plant seedlings

While the seeds are germinating, you can simultaneously prepare the soil in the greenhouse. It should be with neutral indicators, fertile, loose, capable of well retaining and absorbing moisture, as well as air.

Soil for cucumbers

When some other crop has already been harvested in the greenhouse before planting cucumbers, then the soil will need to be disinfected with a hot solution of potassium permanganate and re-fertilized. You will also need to directly treat the inside of the structure itself with a bleach solution.

If you pay attention to the advice on growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, which is given by experienced farmers, then the best soil for cucumbers can be obtained by mixing humus and turf soil. A peat-based mixture is also successfully used, to which humus and field soil are added. The ratio is as follows: peat is taken 50% , humus is needed 30% , and field soil is added 20% .

Advice! In order to increase the profitability of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, sawdust substrate is often used. It is prepared in the following proportion: 50% of the field soil is taken from 50% of sawdust from coniferous trees.

Beds for cucumbers

There are different ways to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse. For example, in northern regions with a cold climate, it is better to use the method of growing cucumbers in “warm beds”. For their production, either horse or cow manure is used, which also serves as plant food.

If it is not possible to obtain manure, then you can replace it with compost. Sawdust, last year's leaves or tops and other organic materials can be used for it.

Moreover, to speed up the processing of organic matter, special preparations are often added to the compost, which can now be purchased at any specialized store. The price for them is quite low, so it makes no sense to save on this, since it significantly helps the farmer’s work.

The beds for cucumbers are formed in such a way that the interval between them is from 60 to 70 cm. They should have a height of 15 to 20 cm and a width of approximately 60 cm. It is better if their orientation is from north to south. This will increase the resistance of cucumbers to disease.

Planting cucumber seedlings in the main place

Seedlings can be planted under the following conditions:

• if the plants have been hardened;
• if the plant has 4 leaves (25 days).

B is planted in early February, and in spring with warm beds without a heating system - from about April 20 to 25, with biofuel and heating - from early to April 5. But in simple structures with a film coating and only natural heating, seedlings can be planted no earlier than the beginning of May.

Immediately before planting, it is necessary to moisturize the soil. Cubes with seedlings are buried in the soil mixture to one third of the height so that their upper edge rises slightly above the surface of the beds. To do this, holes are first made about 10-11 cm deep.

When planting seedlings in the main place, it is very important to ensure that the soil does not cover the subcotyledon. The interval between cucumber seedlings should not be more than 40 cm and less than 50 cm. Finally, you need to mulch the soil with peat. It is enough if its layer is small - 3-4 cm.

Cucumber care

Feeding and watering

In order to achieve good yields, cucumbers should be fed. This procedure is divided into types. So, there are foliar and root feedings. For these purposes, both mineral and organic fertilizers are used. When cultivating cucumbers, mullein has proven itself very well. The foliar feeding method is used mainly for weakened plants that have reduced activity of the root system.

This method also helps improve the quality of cucumbers and has a positive effect on the resistance of cucumbers to unfavorable conditions. The root method is used when the soil has sufficient fertility. Usually two such feedings are enough.

The first occurs in the phase of the 3rd true leaf, and the second - during the growing season. Water the cucumbers every 2 days. If the weather is too hot and sunny, then the greenhouse should be well ventilated. For cucumbers, the optimal daytime temperature is 26-27 degrees, and at night - from 18 to 20 degrees.

Shaping and garter

3-4 days after planting the seedlings, the plants should be tied to a trellis, which will serve as a support. A wire is stretched along each bed in 3 rows. The first row should be at a height of 20 cm, the second - 60-80 cm, and the third - 150 -180 cm from the ground. Cucumber lashes will be tied to them using twine.

Formation of cucumbers is an important procedure for good yield. It is carried out depending on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. The condition of the plant itself is also of great importance.

When forming cucumbers, experts recommend using the following methods:

1. If cucumbers are grown in a greenhouse on trellises, then the main shoot does not need to be pinched. As it grows, the plant should be carefully bent over the top row of wire and lowered down. Side shoots should be pinched according to the following rules: the lower ones - above 2, the middle ones - above 3, and the upper ones - above 4 ovaries.
2. The second method of forming cucumbers is used if the stem outgrows the trellis. Then its top bends over the wire and twists one turn. The growing point should first be pinched behind the fourth leaf and then tied up. Directly behind the trellis, the shoot, which is located in the leaf axil, must be removed, and the remaining shoots should be evenly distributed over the support. After this, they are pinched at a distance of every 50 cm. When mass fruiting begins, the shoots that extend into the rows must also be pinched and directed downward.

Note! In order for plants to heal faster, this procedure must be carried out at low air humidity. Also, you should not remove diseased leaves and pinch young shoots at the same time, otherwise this will lead to the spread of infection.

Conclusion

Of course, it is impossible to write everything about growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in one article, so this instruction is only a short guide. If you want to get even more information about cultivating cucumbers, then we recommend watching the video in this article, which will help even a novice gardener more accurately understand the entire technology of growing this healthy, juicy and tasty vegetable.

By the way, the industrial cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse occurs in almost the same way as described above. If you are planning to build a business in this agricultural business, then you should first try small. Once you manage to collect, albeit a small, but high-quality harvest from the planted plants, you can increase the speed with each season.

When starting any business, first of all, you need to take into account the natural advantages. It would never occur to anyone to build an elite hotel in a godforsaken village, or to plant melons at the North Pole. This is exactly the case with greenhouse business. It is stupid to build a greenhouse in an open field, even if renting land there costs a penny, or high in the mountains, etc.

Ilya Nikolaevich Odintsov categorically began his story with this statement. He is from the Rostov region, lives in a small industrial city. He is fifty-six years old, an automatic engineer by profession, and during Soviet times he worked at a large chemical plant. In the first years of perestroika, Odintsov “raked in money” in a cooperative at the plant - he packaged washing powder in bags, then “drove” used cars from Germany, then repurposed himself as a “shuttle driver”, and is currently growing cucumbers and radishes on his personal greenhouse farm. He calls himself a “greenhouse millionaire.”

So, we are visiting him. Behind a high corrugated fence you can see a small mansion made of Italian brick, covered with blue metal tiles. There is a brand new crossover in front of the gate. One feels that the owner is firmly on his feet. He invites you into the yard, and the first thing that catches your eye is the absence of trees on the site - only greenhouses. Between them are concrete paths and intricacies of metal-plastic pipes.

— How did you come up with the idea of ​​starting a greenhouse business?

— It all started in 1998. Then I brought clothes from Turkey. Like in a bad dream, I remember that August when the dollar tripled in price. To pay off his debts, he sold a new foreign car and gave away all his savings. At that time, only imported tomatoes were available in stores, and they also tripled in price. This hooked me, and the idea came to organize a greenhouse farm, fortunately, the house had six acres of land.

— You still have greenhouses on the plot in front of your house...

“I’ve been growing cucumbers in greenhouses for twelve years now and I’m sure that you shouldn’t get involved in this business if you don’t have your own plot at home.” In this case, the game is not worth the trouble, except for pleasure.
***
Next, Ilya Nikolaevich showed his farm. Greenhouses he built two types - frame, long, about twenty meters, right up to the fence; width - 2.5 meters, and single-pitched, with a recess.

The first, about a quarter of the total area of ​​greenhouses. They are located right behind the mansion. Ilya Nikolaevich uses them to grow early varieties of cucumbers. A steel wire frame, 0.9 meters high above the ground, is covered with film. At first glance, it seems that this is an ordinary greenhouse, but this is not so. The entrance to the greenhouses is wooden, triangular, like a cellar. So it is, the steps lead down into a meter-deep trench dug lengthwise and reinforced with boards, along which you can walk without bending. Ilya Nikolaevich goes down into the passage and easily, sometimes from the right, sometimes from the left, reaches the outermost seedlings to pull out weeds and barren flowers.
***
— Why did you decide to make such a deep trench, and not increase the height of the greenhouse, for example, to two meters?

— Building a greenhouse two meters high is not very profitable - you can’t heat it in winter, the volume is large. The wind can also tear it, and you need a lot of film. And the highest income is in winter and early spring.

— Are you planning the harvest for the New Year?

- No. I just plant it in January, otherwise there won’t be enough light for normal growth. Nowadays, seedlings in pots are in fashion, but I have adapted to growing from seeds, which is much cheaper. If the soil is good, new, disinfected, then the seeds will germinate well, the main thing is that they must be well protected from weeds.

— For normal growth, you need not only light, but also warmth, especially in winter.

- You see, - Ilya Nikolaevich pointed to two pipes laid at the edges of the greenhouse, - this is heating. From a home boiler. Cucumbers are very capricious, like ladies. They germinate at above +18 C, but ideally for them +25...+28 C. At this temperature, seedlings appear after three days, and at +16...+18 C - only after a week. Then, however, the range is wider, from +18...+26 C. If the temperature is below +12...+14 C, then the fruits do not ripen at all. It is quite difficult to maintain such a regime when the temperature outside in winter ranges from minus 15 to plus 15. I, as a former Kipovite, (a specialist in control and measuring instruments) installed a relay alarm with a bell in the house. I monitor the temperature carefully, like I do with small children.”

— How do you water your plantations?

— I water it constantly, cucumbers love water ( Ilya Nikolaevich pointed to the transparent tubes through which water flowed). At first I use hoses with millimeter holes, then I change them to those in which the diameter of the holes is three millimeters. Water is supplied to the hoses after turning on the corresponding tap located in the house, and then through these holes it flows strictly under the stem of the plant.

— There are no tomatoes visible. Why? After all, they are the ones who pushed you into this business.

- Fuck them. I tried it. Tomatoes do not like it when it is very humid, maximum 60%. They need to be ventilated, and regularly. What if the frost is minus twenty? They'll freeze right away. If you don’t ventilate, they will get sick. True, there are varieties, apparently genetically modified, that grow without problems, and are even beautiful to look at. It's just that the taste is disgusting. There are many of these at the market. But for me the most important thing is quality and naturalness. This is precisely why my customers respect me, so I am not going to grow such dubious tomatoes. Well, to close the topic of choosing a crop, I’ll say this, life itself will tell you what to grow. It's like choosing a wife. One likes a smart woman, another likes a beautiful woman, and the third likes his wife like he changes gloves. Apparently, my love affair with tomatoes didn’t work out. Although, to be honest, it's about me greenhouses, they do not have convenient ventilation, this, I think, is the main problem.

- But another red, or rather pink, vegetable has taken root with you.

—Are you talking about radishes? This culture is very undemanding to heat, but loves light. I grow it under glass frames. Radishes germinate at +3-4 C, although they “love” +16 C. An ideal winter crop that does not die even if the temperature in the greenhouse suddenly drops to -6 C. Another advantage of radish is its short growing season: it ripens in 25- 35 days (round varieties) and 30-40 days (long varieties). Considering that radishes are not picky about soil, growing this vegetable is not a labor-intensive agricultural technology. In winter and early spring this product is in demand.

— Is the greenhouse business profitable?

- Let's figure it out now. Look, from one square meter I remove 100-150 cucumbers within two months. This is approximately 10-15 kilograms, which I sell to wholesalers at a price of 80 rubles per kilo. It turns out about a thousand rubles per square meter, or 40 thousand per greenhouses. Ten greenhouses bring in “dirty income” of four hundred thousand rubles. Minus the costs of fertilizers, soil, seedlings, heat and water, and as a result, two hundred thousand rubles remain “clean” for February-March. In spring, income is approximately half as much. In summer and autumn, my profit from cucumbers is at the level of fifty thousand per quarter.

— Do you plan to modernize your greenhouse farming in the future?

— Of course, I will modify it. I’ll slowly start buying greenhouses made of cellular polycarbonate, and I’ll remove the frames under which I grow radishes. I have already planned one new greenhouse this year. I will do this comprehensively, simultaneously with the introduction of drip irrigation, as well as modern lighting and heating. I will also equip greenhouses automatic temperature and humidity control systems, fortunately I gained fat. I'll try tomatoes again. There is a great demand for them. My goals are quite ambitious: to bring the winter harvest to four hundred cucumbers per square meter.

— Ilya Nikolaevich, many of our readers will clearly be “hooked” by your experience, and they will also decide to try their hand at greenhouses. What parting words would you say to them?

— First of all, you need to understand that in this business there is no universal formula for success, because each region of our huge country has its own climatic characteristics, which determine the policy of the agribusinessman. Well, in general, in Russia, agriculture and livestock farming will be the responsibility of the new Russian farmers. Look, the world can no longer live without Russian grain. If you had said this twenty years ago, they would have laughed. The same thing will happen with potatoes, then with meat. Remember what Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin said: “Give the state twenty years of peace, internal and external, and you will not recognize today’s Russia.”

We will not be mistaken if we say that the topic growing cucumbers is familiar to most citizens of our country.

Cucumber contains up to 97% water and contains a lot of potassium. It is rich in complex organic substances that play an important role in metabolism in the human body. In any case, few agricultural crops in Russia can compare in popularity with cucumber.

Business idea for growing cucumbers for sale will always be relevant in Russia.

So, let's look at how you can make money on cucumbers. Perhaps our article will be of more interest to those who want to earn extra income.

You can earn income from the implementation of the following ideas:

Growing cucumbers in open ground in summer;

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in summer and winter;

Growing cucumbers in an apartment in winter;

Growing cucumber seedlings;

Growing cucumbers for seeds (by the way - very profitable and promising);

Production of pickled cucumbers and their sale.

By the way, from the point of view of classical botany, a cucumber is a fruit (it is the closest relative of a pumpkin, which is very close to a berry), but from a culinary point of view it is recognized as a vegetable.

On the Internet you can find specialized forums where you can find hundreds of times more information on growing cucumbers than is written in this article. We will not compete with specialists in the field of biology and botany; we simply recommend listening to the opinions of professionals on specialized sites.

In general, it’s better to start by studying the theory - how to choose good cucumber seeds, how to germinate seeds, how to plant cucumber seedlings in the ground, how to increase the yield of cucumbers... There are even favorable days for planting cucumbers. There are a lot of questions here; it is impossible to consider everything in one article.

Early varieties begin to bear fruit approximately 40-50 days after the appearance of the first shoots (sprouts). Harvesting can be done from about mid-June to September, depending on the climate zone and variety.

It is better to water cucumbers with warm water. Fertilizers, manure, and peat compost are widely used. Fresh manure is not recommended; it is said to make cucumbers bitter. Vermicompost significantly increases the yield of cucumbers.

To get a more complete picture of business opportunities in this area, try to keep a record of all the cucumbers collected (in pieces and kilograms) over the entire summer at your summer cottage. If you don’t have your own plot, ask relatives and friends to keep this record. This way you will get an idea of ​​the specific results of doing business if you suddenly decide to deal with this issue closely. It should be remembered that the yield of cucumbers for an amateur gardener can always be significantly increased.

There are a huge number of varieties of cucumbers - we will not take the liberty of recommending any specific one, it all depends on many factors. You can start listing, but it will take too much time - Muromsky, Zozulya, Vyaznikovsky, Kustovoy, Competitor, Masha, Champion, Matilda, Evita, Othello, Lord, Levina, Farmer...

You should know that there are both self-pollinating and bee-pollinated varieties (although they are pollinated not only by bees, but also by other insects).

Let's consider all the options for making money on cucumbers in more detail. Of course, you can combine all methods of earning money, making the most of this business.

Growing cucumbers in open ground in summer

This is the easiest way to earn money. In most of Russia, cucumbers can be grown in ordinary beds. Buy seedlings (or seeds - it’s cheaper). You dig a garden bed and fertilize it. The main thing is not to forget to water on time. Cucumbers love water very much. In order for cucumbers to “get used” to the cold, experienced gardeners “harden” the seedlings by placing pots of seedlings on the balcony or loggia for the day.

When the seedlings are planted, they are covered with special material, or covered with halves of 5-liter plastic bottles - every summer resident has a lot of such stuff. Covering material increases productivity by 3-5 times. Don't forget about weeding.

Of course, the yield greatly depends on the variety.

Cucumbers from the ground, as a rule, are better stored compared to “greenhouse” ones, but it all depends on the variety and storage conditions.

From 1 sq. meters, when grown in open ground, you can harvest up to 4-5 kg ​​of cucumbers. From 6 acres you can produce about 3 tons of cucumbers. There are approximately 12-13 cucumbers per kilogram (the weight of an “average” cucumber is about 80 grams, although this figure is very arbitrary).

Towards the end of summer, “in season” on the market, on average, a kilogram of cucumbers costs about 30-50 rubles.

The most important thing here is implementation. You can hand over the grown products for sale to stores. However, in this case there will be a large loss of revenue.

Usually, they first look for a buyer, and then remove cucumbers from the garden for a specific order. Otherwise, you can simply ruin the product.

When growing cucumbers in open ground, you need a large area of ​​land to earn more or less serious money.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse in summer and winter

This is also a method familiar to most summer residents. Polycarbonate greenhouses are now very popular.

A polycarbonate greenhouse measuring 6x3 meters will cost approximately 15-20 thousand rubles, including installation. Don’t be afraid of these investments - firstly, the amount is not that big, and the investment will pay off within a season; secondly, the greenhouse will last for many years; thirdly, in a greenhouse you can grow a lot of other things besides cucumbers and tomatoes, which we will also talk about later, and the profit will be many times higher.

From 1 sq. meter in a greenhouse you can harvest up to 30 kg of cucumbers. The best results are shown by state farms and factories - they achieve results of up to 50-55 kg of cucumbers per 1 sq. meters.

From a greenhouse with an area of ​​18 sq.m. you can remove up to 500-550 kg of cucumbers.

At a price of 40 rubles per kilogram, the greenhouse will pay for itself within a season. There will be net profit in the following years.

In winter, heating and watering will be required. If you do not plan to engage in farming seriously, then it is better not to start it as a business, although the idea is very promising. You will not be able to compete on price with state farms and plants. When building a large-area greenhouse, a lot of investments will be required. It is more convenient to heat large areas using gas supply.

Growing cucumbers in an apartment (including in winter)

Cucumbers are grown on balconies (loggias) and on window sills.

The most important question here is the question of pollination (in winter there is a problem with this - there are no insects). Of course, you can also grow self-pollinating varieties.

In general, people usually grow cucumbers in an apartment for themselves. Growing for sale is only possible if you have extensive experience in growing cucumbers in order to get the maximum yield from every square meter.

Even if you rent a one-room apartment with an area of ​​40 sq.m. and plant it with cucumbers, you will not receive a significant amount of money as a result, which can be expected from growing other crops.

But in winter, the cost of a kilogram of cucumbers is usually 2-4 times higher than the “summer” price and can reach 150-200 rubles per kilogram. If you can’t sell, at the very least you will eat your fresh cucumbers.

Many varieties are suitable for growing in an apartment, for example, “Room Rytova”, “Miracle on the Window”.

Growing cucumber seedlings

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse accelerates the appearance of cucumbers 10-15 days earlier than usual, compared to planting seeds. This is why seedlings are so popular among summer residents.

Everything is simple here - we buy seeds, germinate them, and sell seedlings. On average, the cost of seedlings (one sprout) is about 10-15 rubles. This doesn’t seem like much, but there’s no special labor involved. When growing in an apartment, the land can be prepared in the fall.

Seedlings can also be planted in a greenhouse. See for yourself - for one seedling, use an area of ​​approximately 7cm x 7cm. This is 0.0049 square meters. meters. In a greenhouse with an area of ​​18 sq.m. (size 6 meters x 3 meters) you can grow up to 3.3 thousand sprouts (take a useful area of ​​16 sq.m. - leave 2 sq.m. for passage). We multiply 3.3 thousand by 10 rubles - it turns out 33 thousand rubles... Of course, there will be expenses for seeds and other expenses, but if you wish, you can “grow” yourself a good smartphone in this way, and there will still be left...

Growing cucumbers for seeds

Here we come to a very interesting and promising business idea. Without getting lost in thought, let’s say that a kilogram of cucumber seeds costs about 18 thousand rubles on the market.

Well, now some numbers, if they don’t bore you.

1,000 seeds cost on average about 1,500 rubles. One seed, depending on the variety, costs about 1-2 rubles. To be honest, we didn’t count how many seeds there are in a cucumber. According to experts, one cucumber contains approximately 50-150 “usable” seeds. In general, imagine when you eat a cucumber how much it costs, taking this into account...

There are approximately 25-35 cucumber seeds in one gram. Amounts in different sources may differ, this is explained by different sizes of seeds and the degree of their dryness.

There are, respectively, 25 thousand - 35 thousand pieces of seeds per kilogram. 1 cucumber seed weighs approximately 0.028-0.04 grams.

1,000 seeds weigh 28-40 grams.

Let's estimate the yield - and this is approximately 30 kg (360 pieces) of cucumbers per 1 sq. meters. Accordingly, one greenhouse measuring 6x3 meters is capable of producing 6.5 thousand (!) cucumbers per season.

And if you manage to collect 100 seeds from each cucumber, the amount doubles. And if…

In general, you can collect up to 5 grams from one seed cucumber. seeds

You may be surprised by such profitability. Nevertheless, this is true, although not everything is so rosy, there are many nuances. Not all varieties are suitable for obtaining seeds. Hybrid varieties are not used to obtain seeds - subsequently all the properties of “varietal” cucumbers are lost. Seeds are collected from overripe cucumbers (they turn yellow). To obtain “yielding” seeds, “female” cucumbers are usually used - when cut in cross-section, they are square in cross-section (male cucumbers are triangular). It is believed that maximum germination of seeds is achieved after 2-5 years of storage.

Among the obtained fruits, we select the best cucumbers - selective selection is carried out. Although in practice, of course, business “dealers” use absolutely all cucumbers to obtain seeds.

There are special machines for extracting seeds from cucumbers. Its cost can reach about 100-150 thousand rubles, but it will pay for itself.

Buyers usually buy seeds from “trusted” sellers and recommend them to their friends. By ensuring good quality seeds, you will create a good basis for business expansion in the future.

There are now a lot of low-quality seeds on the market. There is no need to be afraid of competition from “chain retailers” - people will be more willing to buy in a small shop if they trust the seller than in a large chain store.

In general, if you are unable to sell your cucumber harvest, do not despair, you can use them for seeds and earn even more.

Cucumber seeds remain viable for up to 8-10 years if stored properly.

There is no need to throw away the remaining cucumbers - it is more expedient to sell it - for example, offer it to pig farms for animal feed - this way you can get additional income.

With a large scale of activity, this business can be conducted by registering as an individual entrepreneur or opening an LLC. There is a very good video on the topic of choosing between individual entrepreneurs and LLCs with a comparative analysis of the main criteria, we recommend that you watch it. The video is located.

Production of pickled cucumbers and their sale

Older people probably know how to pickle cucumbers. In principle, there is nothing complicated here. The main ingredients here are cucumbers, clean water (ideally spring water), salt, dill, black currant leaves, oak leaves. Crispy cucumber has always been and will be valued in Russia as both a snack and simply as an addition to salads or potatoes. The main buyers will be vegetarian cafes, canteens, restaurants... They themselves will resolve issues with regulatory authorities. You can simply sell the pickles at the market, or offer the product for sale to other sellers.

In general, for those who can distinguish a watering can from a shovel, there are always options to earn extra money at their own dacha.

More information on this idea for starting and running a business can be obtained.

Your own business can be based not only on renting premises, buying and selling goods, but also on your own production. In this regard, the cucumber business is the most attractive, since food products always find a buyer. To understand all the nuances, you should get acquainted with the agricultural technology of growing vegetables, the conditions necessary for them and calculate the return on production. It is also very important to study the market and demand for the products you are going to produce.

Financial expenses

Undoubtedly, any business begins with consideration of the costs that its implementation will require. In the case of business activities related to growing vegetables, there may be different options.

For example, if this is a single greenhouse on a personal garden plot, and you are operating without forming a legal entity, this is one option. Another, if you are planning a large and profitable production, in which additional personnel will be involved, several capital greenhouses have been built and land has been rented. The second option, of course, will require more expenses, but the result will be more noticeable.

When drawing up a business plan for growing cucumbers, you need to take into account tax deductions and payment of bank loans. In order to organize just one greenhouse with an area of ​​three hundred and fifty square meters, approximately nine hundred thousand rubles will be required.

When drawing up a plan for your own business, you need to include minimum costs and take into account income so that it covers all expenses and brings profit. But it should always be borne in mind that overproduction of goods should not be allowed. In this case, you will not be able to implement it successfully and will incur losses. Since vegetables quickly lose their presentation and spoil.

Land and conditions for growing vegetables

First of all, you should take care of the land. It can be rented or purchased as personal property. The second option is preferable. Before purchasing, you need to take into account the availability of communications (water, electricity, gas) and access roads. Only after this can you think about ways to grow vegetables indoors.

Cucumbers are considered unpretentious plants. But in reality this is not entirely true. Yes, they will bear fruit beautifully and abundantly if all the necessary conditions are created for them. And this means well-fertilized soil, acceptable humidity levels, and temperature.

If any of these requirements are not met, you can lose a significant part of the harvest. Therefore, greenhouse vegetables are most suitable for organizing private farming. Construction of a greenhouse will require additional costs, but will provide optimal development conditions for plants. It can maintain a constant temperature. Cucumbers are very heat-loving. At the same time, the degree of illumination is not important for them. Therefore, specially built greenhouses are completely suitable for their breeding.

Plants are planted in pre-made holes or grooves. Plant the seeds three to four centimeters deep into the ground. The distance between plants should be from twelve to fifteen centimeters. Since this vegetable crop produces long vines, it is recommended to place them on wooden trellises with strings stretched over them. After the fourth leaf forms on the bushes, they need to be pinched. Then side shoots will begin to develop.

A well-thought-out business plan for growing cucumbers should take into account all the possible risks associated with growing vegetables. These include weather conditions. To protect plants from diseases and pests, the cost of preventive measures to prevent these phenomena should be included in the estimate. For example, apply herbicide and fungicide treatments.

The best option for growing cucumbers is to purchase coconut mats for greenhouses, which allow you to create the best conditions for growing vegetables. Flooring made from natural materials is laid on slabs made of polystyrene. Plant seeds are planted in the mats and a nutrient solution is supplied. Subsequently, the root system of cucumber bushes develops inside them.

Greenhouse construction

Experts and practicing farmers, those who have already succeeded in this very effective business, will tell you how to start a cucumber business. But in order to ensure its prosperity, it is necessary to attend to the construction of a greenhouse. The best option is to purchase ready-made designs.

In permanent greenhouses made of polycarbonate, everything is already taken into account: size, ease of installation, lighting. All engineering systems must be installed in them: watering, fertilizers. Install heating to maintain a constant temperature in the greenhouse and electric lighting. When erecting a structure, it is necessary to take into account all the most advanced ideas of plant growing. Apply energy-saving technologies.

Purchase of planting material

Vegetable seeds must be purchased from trusted suppliers and breeding companies. Don't get carried away with products from foreign manufacturers. Seeds bred in other climates may fail to germinate and your business will suffer as a result. Therefore, preference should be given to planting material that is developed and bred by local specialists.

Both pure cucumber varieties and F1 hybrids are suitable for cultivation in a greenhouse. The latest varieties have proven themselves very well. Farming will require the purchase of large quantities of seeds. For their purchase, you can pledge an amount of 1,600 rubles.

Fertilizers

Like all plants, cucumbers require feeding. This is especially important during planting. You will need compost and humus. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate are also used. When preparing a business plan for growing cucumbers, you need to take into account the costs of purchasing fertilizers. Their volume should be calculated depending on the cultivated planting area.

Fertilize the soil, cleared of weeds and well loosened. What’s good about cucumbers is that they give quick results (increase in growth, fruiting) after the garden bed is fertilized. Even chicken manure, previously diluted with water, will do. If the area where the plants are located is large enough, then automation will be required to process it. This also applies to the supply of fertilizers to each bush.

Watering

Plants are very demanding of moisture, so cucumbers must be watered regularly. However, don't be too zealous. Excess moisture is fraught with the occurrence of diseases. A sharp drop in temperature in a greenhouse can have the same detrimental effect. Lack of watering will affect the taste of cucumbers. They will develop bitterness.

In a permanently constructed greenhouse, you can equip a special automatic watering installation. It is controlled using a remote control. At the same time, a micro-dripper is connected to each plant so that the hydration is uniform. One hectare will require three hundred cubic liters of water. In addition, a fogging system will be required in the building where vegetables are grown. There should be water tanks in the greenhouse.

After reviewing the proposed plan, you can conclude that growing cucumbers as a business is quite suitable even for novice entrepreneurs.

Varieties of cucumbers

The variety of types of vegetable crops is amazing. For cultivation in open ground, it is better to choose self-pollinating varieties or place a hive with bees in a greenhouse. Since plants can have male and female flowers. Four to five bee colonies are enough for one hectare of planting.

The cultivation of Chinese cucumbers is suitable for cultivation on an industrial scale, since this variety has a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, the fruits grow very quickly and their size is impressive. One cucumber is enough to feed a whole family. The fruits of this variety are good for fresh consumption and canning. After harvesting, the number of fruits on the bushes increases, which also attracts farmers.

Features of caring for plants of this variety include feeding with fresh manure, watering with warm water, and removing yellowed leaves. It is recommended to grow Chinese cucumbers on a trellis. After harvesting, the products must be sold as soon as possible, since already on the second day the greens lose their presentation and their taste deteriorates.

Farming welcomes varieties of plants whose fruits are well stored and can withstand transportation. The Gunnar cucumber is one of these. The technology for growing it does not differ from the technique described above. It is suitable for early planting in greenhouses. Hybrid variety. The bush is open and compact. The fruits are cylindrical in shape and can reach from twelve to fourteen centimeters in length.

Harvesting

Greenhouse cultivation of vegetables allows you to harvest throughout the year, since the necessary microclimate is created for the plants and they do not suffer from external weather conditions. Therefore, it is quite possible for a farmer to harvest a large number of cucumbers. Moreover, harvesting vegetables in winter provides more profit than summer harvest.

They begin to collect fruits fifty days after the end of their flowering with an interval of two days. Harvesting can be done either manually or using special equipment. For example, platforms POU-2, PNSSH-12, UPNS-10, TNA-40 are used. Products must necessarily comply with GOST, depending on their purpose. Fruits intended for canning should be up to 11 cm long, and for direct fresh consumption - from 14 to 25 cm.

Recruitment

A novice entrepreneur, having built one greenhouse, can handle it independently or with one assistant. If you expect to expand your business, you will need from four to six people (depending on the area being cultivated with plantings).

So, for example, if the area of ​​the greenhouse is one hectare, then to work in it you will need a manager, one technologist and three to four workers.

The business plan for growing cucumbers must include such an item as the working hours of employees and the salary due to them. Of course, your workers must have an agricultural education and be well versed in vegetable farming techniques.

Sales of products

After harvesting, it is necessary to ensure the sale of vegetables. To do this, you need to conclude an agreement with retail outlets or food industry enterprises. You can also sell products in wholesale quantities on agricultural exchanges. Vegetable prices need to vary depending on the harvest and season.

Business profitability

Selecting products to grow is a major aspect of developing a business plan. Cucumbers are perfect. After all, this vegetable crop does not require large expenditures, develops very effectively in closed ground and allows you to obtain a bountiful harvest. Therefore, the profitability of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is very high. Your vegetable production will begin to generate income very quickly.