How To Grow Fantastic Cucumbers
Grow fantastic cucumbers. We climb our trellis of knowledge for answers about when to grow, the best soil, how to plant and care for, common diseases and pests, as well as harvesting cucumbers. Read on to find out all of the information to grow fantastic cucumbers.
When To Grow Cucumbers
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Other members of the cucumber family are watermelons, muskmelon, and pumpkins. Cucumbers originated in India so they like to grow in hot, humid weather. Cucumbers grow well if planted in a mild climate from April to June, In hot climates, you can crow cucumbers earlier but make sure the temperature outside is 65F or more consistently. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Charlemagne was said to have grown cucumbers and then it spread to western Europe where King Henry VIII got them for his wife who liked Spanish salads.
The Best Soil to Grow Cucumbers
Use soil with lots of organic matter that will feed and keep the soil moist. Cucumbers like fertile soil so adding a couple of shovelfuls of compost will help to feed the plants. Here’s a link to my booklet on preparing compost. Also, mound the soil so the stem of the vine is above the surrounding area. On the ground, make sure the stem is 3-4 inches above the surrounding area and the plant is 18″ from other plants. Cucumbers are prone to root rot if they do not have well-drained soil.
How to Plant and Care for Cucumbers
Moist, well-mulched soil is best to grow cucumbers as they like moist soil but need full sun. Plant them in a sunny area but add several inches of shredded leaves or straw around the base of plants leaving an inch or two open from the stem. Cucumbers tend to be more bitter if they are in the shade or get dried out. Early morning sun with about 8 hours of sunlight is best. The morning sun dries off the vines and leaves to prevent fungus. The roots are the part of the plant that needs moisture so water them around the base and avoid watering the leaves or vines.
Grow Cucumbers From Direct Seed or Transplant
Cucumbers can be planted by direct seed or transplanted from pots. If grown in pots, they have a chance to get stronger and avoid the cucumber beetle. Only the strongest plants will be transplanted. When planting, put two plants on the mound (or 3 seeds and keep the strongest two) so they can wind around each other. This strengthens their vines.
A Companion Plant To include
Avoid planting near potatoes since the potatoes release a chemical that stops cucumber growth. However, 5 to 6 radishes planted around the bottom of the mound will discourage the cucumber beetle. To grow cucumbers without this pest, add several companion radishes.
Fertilize growing cucumbers every two weeks with compost tea or organic fertilizer. Once cucumbers appear, you can stop fertilizing. The fertilizer around growing cucumber plants gives them the energy to produce a good crop of cucumbers.
Common Diseases and Pests of Cucumbers
Grow cucumbers in the sun so the plant leaves have a chance to dry out to prevent fungus. As stated above, the most devastating pest is the cucumber beetle. Another pest is the aphid. These bugs are usually on the underside of leaves with some ants attracted to the milky substance they secrete. If you find ants, look for aphids. My grandmother swore that washing the leaves with a dishwashing soap and water mixture would discourage aphids.
Harvesting Cucumbers
Cucumbers have been actively harvested for at least 3,000 years but the earliest varieties were quite bitter. Ancient cucumbers had chemical compounds that would have been a deterrent to pests. Nowadays, there are great varieties without bitterness. When the cucumbers appear, start to pick them regularly. Producing cucumbers is hard work for the cucumber plants so picking the ripe ones sends more energy to the baby cukes.
Cucumber Recipes
Grow Cucumbers for great salads. Gaby from the Stay @ Home Chef has a good recipe for a cucumber and onion salad. If you grow red onions, this is a perfect match. English cucumbers are crisp and mildly sweet in this salad. This recipe asks for sweated cucumbers. To sweat, a vegetable takes out the moisture by adding salt and letting it sit for a while (1 hour here). This step can be skipped but the salad may have more water. This link sends you to Gaby’s Easy Cucumber Salad. If you grow radishes along the base of the cucumber plant, add some slices for a peppery bite.
Conclusion
Growing cucumbers is fairly easy if you know how to avoid disease and pests. I hope the tips in this blog post help you to grow a bountiful crop of cucumbers. Send me pictures of the crop or the salad. I love to hear from you!