Home»Garden»Vegetables
cuke are a quintessential summer garden crop ! The crisp , naughty fruit are perfect for bracing summertime salad , sandwiches , drink , homemade pickles , plunge , and more . Read along and learn how to grow cucumbers at home with our best tips tomaximize place , takings , and succeeder .
This clause explore when and how to plant cucumber vine , dissimilar types and varieties , tips for growing Cucumis sativus in pots or vertically up a trellis , pollenation , and pest ascendence . We ’ll also cover the expert metre to harvest time cucumbers , how to prevent bitterness , storage peak , and way to use or bear on your bounty !
Would you like to save this?
We ’ll email this post to you , so you’re able to come back to it afterward !
I agree to invite email update .
revelation : Homestead and Chill is reader - stand . When you purchase through links on our site , we may earn an affiliate commission .
Ideal Cucumber Growing Conditions
- Water motivation and frequence diverge calculate on your clime , soil , and rainfall . It does n’t rainfall here in the summertime ( though it ’s not very live ) and we run ourraised bottom drip irrigation systemtwice a week for an hr to give the plant a squeamish deep boozing .
Types of Cucumbers and Varieties To Grow
Cucumbers generally descend into three family : authoritative slicers , pickle cucumbers , or slight - skinned burpless varieties .
Bush vs. Vining Cucumbers
Cucumber works have two dissimilar outgrowth drug abuse : bush or vining , much like squash plant . Vining cucumberplants grow larger , create more yield over a longer period of time , require atrellisfor support , and maximise space by growing vertically !
In demarcation , bush cucumbervarieties are compact , tolerate less generous book of fruit per industrial plant , and do n’t necessitate a treillage . They ’re ideal to grow in field , row , container , or raised bed – but need to be space further apart , explained below .
Growing Cucumbers from Seed
To grow cuke from seed , you could either set off seed indoors or works seed right in the garden ( aka direct sow ) . We ’ve had success with both methods over the year !
To lineal sow , plant cucumber vine seedsoutdoorsafter the last outpouring frost has croak , ideally once the soil temperature get through about 60 ° F . See spacing guidepost to conform to .
Or , start cucumber vine seedsindoorsabout 3 calendar week before you plan to transplant them out of doors . Cucumber seedling mature really fast and have sensitive root systems ! Therefore , we like to start our cucumber seeds in 4″ nursery mass alternatively of tiny cells or 6 - packs so we do n’t need to care about them getting root bound or potting up .
put up indoor cucumber seedlings with sizeable bright ignitor ( grow lights ) for the best result . Get more detailed tips onstarting seeds indoors here .
When to Plant Cucumbers Outside
transplantation cucumber seedling outside in the fountain after the soil has warmed , and at least 2 weeks after the risk of frost has snuff it . Studiesshow that Cucumis sativus will not grow if the dirt temperature is below 63 ° atomic number 9 , so when in doubt , use a grunge thermometer to check before plant ! May is generally a good time to institute cucumbers in most growing zones .
Be sure toharden offindoor seedling first and watch over othertransplanting best practices!We love to add a fistful of insect casting andmycorrhizaeto the planting jam . Both help to reduce transplant shock , encourage healthy root development , and increase nutrient uptake .
How Far to Space Cucumber Plants
Hilled or bush cucumber plants ( those left to sprawl out ) should be space about 3 to 5 feet apart . However , vining cucumbers develop vertically can be space as close as12 inchesapart along the base of a usual trellis .
Cucumber Pollination and Fruit Growth
Did you know thatsome Cucumis sativus varieties ask pollinationto grow fruit , while others do not – and are considered “ self - fertile ” ? The germ or plant verbal description should specify if the kind is monoecious or parthenocarpic .
Most cucumber kind aremonoecious : in order for cucumber to grow , pollen must be physically transferred from their male to distaff flowers – either by bees , other insect , or by hand ! Without right pollination , the cucumber fruits fail to develop , staying minor and eventually fall off the vine .
In contrast , parthenocarpiccucumber potpourri set fruit without pollination . They ’re exceptionally productive , including in glasshouse or high - tunnels where pollinators may not be present . Parthenocarpic cuke varieties are always vining , further adding to their collection for maximizing productivity .
Growing Cucumbers on a Trellis
There are a number of benefit to grow cucumbers vertically up a trellis ! Itsaves place , increase air flow ( whichreduces disease and pests),makesharvestingeasier , and keep the cucumber yield growing nice andstraight!Cucumbers entrust to develop on the basis be given to curl , or get color spots where they were lay on the soil .
Cucumber vine grow about 4 to 6 feet long on average , depending on the variety . That said , an idealistic cucumber trellisshould be at least4 or 5 feet talland at least 1 foot wide per plant . Using a extensive trellis allows you to plant several cucumbers side - by - side along the same treillage , space about a foot apart along the base . The opening in the trellis should be broad enough for you to equip your custody through for harvesting .
Cucumber Trellis Ideas
Growing Cucumbers in Containers
Yes , you’re able to grow cucumbers in good deal ! take a container that isat leastone foot rich and wide per flora . We love to constitute cucumbers in generously - sized halfwine barrel planter . Then , all of the basic arise requirements that we ’ve already covered ( soil , sun , temperature , etc ) applies to growing cucumbers in pots too .
However , achieve the idealistic soil moisture ( systematically damp but not miry ) that cucumbers do it is more dodgy in containers , since potted soil tend to yo - yo between wet and dry more than raised beds or in - ground gardens . To assist ensure optimal hydration , believe adding asmall ollainside the mess , or plant cucumber in a handyself - watering pot .
Cucumber Pests and Diseases
Pests
rough-cut cucumber pests include distinguish and stripedcucumber beetle , aphid , thrips , whitefly , radical knot nematodes , squash hemipteran , squash vine borers , andspider mites . Some of these pests have damage by chewing on the plant while others channelize disease ( or both ) . For instance , espy and striped cucumber beetles stimulate legal injury by chewing on leaf and fruit , but they also conduct a bacterial wilt pathogen that can kill cucurbits .
The first step inorganic pestis managementis to properly identify the pest first , then proceed conservatively and depending on the severity of the infestation . Neem oil atomizer , fine meshinsect nettingrow covers , and thoughtfulgarden companion plantingcan all help deter pest insects . I do n’t recommend using all-embracing - spectrum pesticides – for the sake of your health , pollinator , and the surroundings !
select any of the pest figure above to see specific control tips .
Diseases
There are also a number of cucumber works disease that can come about includingpowdery mould , cucumber mosaic virus , flossy mildew , angular leaf spot , bacterial wilt disease , Phytophthora cap and antecedent rot .
Bacterial wilt , foliage spot , and mosaic computer virus are unmanageable to amend once they set in , but there are a issue of proactivepreventionand management techniques to apply – including good garden hygienics and sanitization , reducing overhead lachrymation ( use drip irrigation instead ) , minimizing aphid and cuke mallet populations , and removing septic plant .
One great manner to baffle these issues is togrow disease - resistant varieties!For model , powdery mold isveryprevalent in our domain , so we seek out powdery mould immune cucumber varieties likeTasty GreenorManny . Other varieties may exhibit raw resistance to downy mildew , cucumber mosaic virus , scab , bacterial wilting , and more .
When to Harvest Cucumbers
To reap cucumber , eithercut the stem or gently twistthe fruit off the vine . Be careful to not damage the vine itself !
For thebest - tastingcucumbers , it ’s key to harvest cucumbers ahead of time and often , before they start to turn yellow or become too heavy and squalid .
Cucumis sativus are ready to glean when they ’re dark unripe and the yield have reach the desired size for the diversity you institute , usually 6 to 9 inches prospicient for most slicers or burpless varieties . Harvest pickle cucumbers decent and small ( 3 to 4 inches long ) and do n’t let them produce longer than 5 column inch .
Cucumbers do n’t need to “ mature ” so they really ca n’t be picked too too soon . On the flip side , cuke left on the vine too long will begin to tastebitter , the cutis gets increasingly thick andtough , and the insides get more and moreseedy .
Plus , routinely harvesting yield allows the plant to redirect its energy into develop raw cucumbers – thereby increasing yields !
Why do my cucumbers taste bitter?
Cucumbers get bitter when a natural compound calledcucurbitacinbecomes elevated in the yield . A number of affair make cucumber taste bitter , including when they ’re harvested and how they ’re grown .
Reduce bitterness in cucumber vine by providing regular water , harvesting yield early , protecting plants from extreme oestrus with nicety cloth and mulch , andremoving the peelon already - harvested yield that is bitter .
How to Store Cucumbers
Store just - harvest cucumbersin the refrigeratorinside a recyclable moldable bag in the crisper draftsman . Cucumbers should stay fresh and crispy for over a hebdomad in the fridge , compared to only a few years if left out at room temperature . Wait to curve Cucumis sativus until you ’re ready to use them , but it ’s okay to wash them before storage .
Yet sample not to hive away cuke below 40F , as they ’ll take down more cursorily under too cold of condition . Also stave off storing cucumber near apples or tomatoes , which give off a plant hormone ( ethene ) that will cause the cucumbers to yellow . depot sliced or edit out cucumbers in a bowl of cool water for only a few twenty-four hours to forestall them from dry out .
Ways to Use and Preserve Cucumbers
Given their mild and inconspicuous flavor , there are endless ways to use and keep Cucumis sativus ! Use fresh cucumber vine in salad ( including Cucumis sativus - forward Grecian salad ) , sandwich , wraps , burgers , charmer , tzatziki , salsas , slice in water orsun tea , or use them ina juicer . You could even try out cooking with cucumbers , include sautéed , roasted or grilled .
Topreserve cucumbers , consider making pleasant-tasting homemade hole : eitherquick refrigerator pickles , can , orlacto - turn brined Cucumis sativus pickles . you could alsodehydratethin Cucumis sativus slices into chips , orfreeze them . Check outthis post from Practical Self Relianceto see 15 unlike way to bear on cuke !
And that sums up everything you need to know to successfully grow cucumbers.
You may relish these related posts :
