20/10/2025
🥒Gherkin farming secrets🥒
🥒 Earn lakhs from 1000 square feet polytunnel - Gherkin farming secrets! 💸
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Gherkin (Salad Cucumber) cultivation is the latest and most successful investment in Sri Lankan agriculture today. If you grow gherkin properly in a polytunnel, you can get a big profit in a few months.
If you are also someone who is looking for a good income using a small space, read this article to know the annual profit of growing gherkin in a 1000 square feet polytunnel and the complete method required for it!
🥒 Annual Profit of Gherkin Cultivation (1000 sq ft) – An Estimate
If Gherkin is successfully grown in a 1000 square feet (approx. 20 x 50 feet) polytunnel, you can do 2 to 3 crops per year.
🥒 Plant size of 1000 square feet | 250 - 300 around
Yield per plant per season (approx.) | 5 - 8 kg
🥒Total yield per season (for 300 plants) 1500 - 2400 kg
🥒Average cost per season (seeds, fertilizers, maintenance) | Rs. 80,000 - 150,000
Average Market Price (Per Kilo - Price May Vary) | Rs. 250 - 450
🥒Total income in one term | Rs. 375,000 - 1,080,000 |
Net profit per period | Rs. 250,000 - 900,000
Annual Estimated Net Profit (For 2-3 Seasons) | Rs. 6 lakhs to 20 lakhs
📌 NB: This profit is calculated based on the remaining maintenance costs, excluding the initial polytunnel construction costs. Profits may vary depending on maintenance, market price, and harvest quality. Proper management can increase profits.
🥒Successful Gherkin Cultivation Methodology (Step by Step)
Gherkin is a very suitable crop to grow in protected houses (Polytunnel/Greenhouse). Harvesting starts in 30-45 days and can be harvested continuously for 3-4 months.
🥒: Preparation of polytunnel
* Structure: Prepare well ventilated polytunnel of 1000 square feet.
* Soil/Media: Coconut oil (coco peat), soil mix, or beds can be used as growing media. The use of coconut oil (Coco Peat) is ideal.
* Irrigation: Make sure to install a drip irrigation system. This also makes it easier to give fertilizer (Fertigation).
🥒 Planting seeds and nursery
* Seeds: Choose high quality hybrid gherkin/salad cucumber seeds.
* Nursery: Put the seeds in seed trays or small pots and do the nursery.
* Planting: Plant 2-3 weeks old well-grown plants in main planting beds. Maintain proper plant spacing (4-5 feet between 1 row, 1.5 feet between plants).
🥒 Maintenance and Nutrition
* Trellising: Provide support (Trellis) using ropes or strings to grow Gherkin vines. This is very important for harvest and disease control.
* Plant Management: Provide good ventilation by removing unwanted shoots and lower leaves (Pruning/Suckering) and direct the energy of the plant to fruiting.
* Fertigation: Give water soluble fertilizer in proper dosage through the drip irrigation system.
🥒: Pest and Disease Control
* Insect infestations (lice, whiteflies) and fungal diseases (spot disease) can occur even in the polytunnel.
* Use correct insecticides and fungicides as per agricultural instructions to prevent and control them. Advance safety is very important!
🥒Harvesting
🥒 Harvesting can be started within 30-45 days after planting.
🥒Harvest daily or every two days depending on fruit size.
🥒 Picking the fruit when it is very young can fetch a good market price, reduce stress on the vine and extend the harvest time.
🥒 Special tips for success in gherkin cultivation!
* Experience: If a new grower, start small (like 1000 square feet) and gain experience.
* Technology: Labor and time can be saved by using automatic water supply methods.
* Quality: There are opportunities to get a guaranteed high price by growing to export quality. Establish marketing channels (Market Linkages) in advance.
