How to grow Cucumbers
Abigal Gordon's Home Grown Cucumbers
- Planting Cucumbers
- Watering Cucumbers
- Fertilizer and Soil
- Cucumber Varieties
- Companion Planting
- Cucumber Pests and Disease
- Harvest and Storage
- Pickling
Cucumbers, relatives of squash, melons, and pumpkins are a nutritious and tasty fruit [veggie-fruit], and are a good source of many essential minerals. They are also said to help aid digestion and constipation. Many people use cucumbers on their skin as a beauty aid, a cleansing cosmetic to soften and whiten. Cucumber juice is used in beauty products
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garden pests, diseases, and weeds—with safe, natural solutions.
Combining a troubleshooting approach with encyclopedic coverage and
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Planting Cucumbers Cucumbers can be planted directly from seed, or from transplanted seedlings. Place cucumber transplant or Seeds outside only after the danger of frost has passed in your region In USDA zone 4 and north [USDA Zone Map], though, you'll need to use short-season varieties and utilize cold frames. I generally plant my seeds indoors , in peat pots several weeks before moving them outdoors, this practice leaves time for a second planting for fall harvest in mid- to late summer.
Loose, sandy loam soil is preferable, but cucumbers are a highly adaptable plant and will thrive in any well drained soil. Remove rocks, large sticks and trash before preparing the soil. Leave fine pieces of plant material such as dead grass and small weeds. They will help enrich the soil when turned under.About a month ahead of planting, Spade the soil to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. This is about the depth reached by most shovels or spading forks, and is ideal for growing cucumber transplants.
Plant cucumber seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep and thin the seedlings to one plant every 12 inches in the row or to three plants every 36 inches in the hill system. Plant cucumber transplants 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 5 to 6 feet apart when they have two to four true leaves
Don't allow the transplants to become overgrown within the containers this will hinder the transplant and adaptation process. Cucumber vines have shallow roots and require ample soil moisture at all stages of growth. When fruit begins to mature, adequate moisture becomes essential in growing cucumbers.
For best yields, incorporate compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the vines begin to develop. A cucumber fence
or similar support is also recommended Cucumber plants in individual peat pots or cell packs experience little or no transplant shock and become established quickly.
Flexible, long-lasting, galvanized wire fence allows closer planting and easier picking.
Cucumbers can be grown in hills, in rows along a wire trellis, or trained to climb a wall or wooden trellis. They also make an attractive container plant.
I have had the best results using trellises. They produce more - and straighter fruits, get better air circulation and fall prey to fewer disease and insect problems than cucumbers permitted to sprawl across the ground.
Tip: Pinch off the growth tip of the plants after they have developed 6 or 7 true leaves. This will encourage the production of side shoots
Cucumbers have a shallow root system and suffer from inadequate irrigation , provide adequate moisture. Water the garden to provide uniform and sufficient moisture to the soil - a depth of at least 6 inches.
The critical period for moisture is during fruit set and fruit development.
Cucumbers need at least 1 inch of water weekly during the growing season. Always soak the soil thoroughly when watering. this helps to promote good root development. Inexpensive Water timer systems are available.Fertilizer and Soil
Cucumbers are a quick-growing crop, and must be well supplied with moisture and plant nutrient elements throughout the growing season. Scatter 1 cup of a fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 10-20-10 for each 10 feet of row. Work the fertilizer into the soil and leave the surface smooth.About a week after blossoming begins, and again three weeks later, use a high nitrogen fertilizer to side-dress the hills. Do not excessively fertilize as this will produce luxurious vines and scrawny low quality cucumbers.
Compost and Mulches will conserve soil moisture, prevent soil compaction and minimize rotting of the fruit, as well as suppress weeds. Black plastic mulch can be a valuable aid in keeping the soil moist and minimizing weed problems.
The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.
Slicing Cucumbers -usually 6-9 inches (15-23 cm) long, but may be as short as four (10 cm) and as long as 14 (36 cm) inches.
Pickling Cucumbers - (6 inches or 15 cm) "blockier" than slicing cucumbers, have a bumpy or spiny skin.
Exotic Varieties include
Round, yellow "Lemon Cucumber" -the size of a tennis ball. English hothouse cucumbers have a ridged or smooth skin, virtually no seeds, and do not require peeling. Oriental Cucumber
which are also long, slender, many over a foot long, thin-skinned, and virtually seedless. Armenian Cucumbers
are long and light green with thin, ridged skins that also don't need peeling
The following are my personal favorites, you of course may prefer to scan any of the many online nurseries and seed catalogs.
Straight Eight Cucumber Heavy yield of smooth, 8-inch long straight and smooth cucumber, dark skin and pure white flesh. 60 days
Burpless Bush Slicing Cucumber
Hybrid's firm, nearly seedless fruits are consistently straight and cylindrical, for easy slicing. Dark green color, average 8-10 in. length. Resistant to disease. 60 days
Bush Champion Cucumber
Abundant fruits on compact bushes. 60-70 days
Companion Planting
Good garden companions when planting cucumber - Corn and Beans as they thrive in the same conditions-rich soil and plenty of moisture. Cucumber vines growing with corn helps to anchor corn and discourages raccoons, for whatever reason they dislike cucumber. Cucumber also repels many varieties of ants. Radish ,Marigold, and Nasturtium grown with cucumber repels cucumber beetles.
Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Savory also share a symbiotic relationship with cucumbers.
Cucumbers do not fare well in close proximity of Potatoes and various aromatic herbs.
See: Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
Pests & Disease problems in CucumbersPests
Cucumber Beetle
There are two different forms of this pest. The striped form is shown in Fig. 1. It's cousin the spotted cucumber beetle are basically identical except that it features a dozen black spots instead of stripes. (Another well-known family member is the corn rootworm.) [Comparative Image]
Whether spotted or striped, both are the same greenish-yellow color, and both dine on a wide variety of cucumber and related vegetables as well as various ornamentals. They are the chief culprit in transmitting bacterial wilt of cucurbits . There is a peak in beetle activity each spring that lasts two to four weeks.
Bioneem
- Aphids are Yellowish-pink to pale green plant lice that suck ......plant juices. They are a soft-bodied, oval/pear shaped insect and are commonly found on nearly all varieties of plants, vegetables, field crops, and fruit trees. [Images] Hot Pepper Wax
- Leafhoppers
Symptoms include a series of small, whitish dots on the upper part of the leaves. Eventually, the leaves will turn brown. Try Rotenone/Pyrethrin- Leafminers
Leafminers make small tunnels in the leaves of plants. Other symptoms include discoloration of the leaves. Try out an organic pesticide to treat the problem. Bioneem- Nematodes
Nematodes are microscopic worms that infect plants and cause swelling on the roots and stems, and small knots on the roots [Images]. When infected, the plants will wilt. Garlic as a companion not only repels vampires and the opposite sex but is said to repel nematodes as well. Crop rotation is also vital in avoiding nematodes. Once infested Predator Nematodeswill control the populations of parasitic nematodes.
- Squash bugs
Squash bugs leave tiny yellow to brown speckles on the leaves. The vines wilt. Try using a wooden board to trap the bugs. The bugs will accumulate under the board and can be easily trapped and 'squashed". [Image]Whiteflies Over 1200 known species of whiteflies. These tiny, insects feed in large numbers on leaf undersides by sucking out plant juices. They secrete a sticky substance called honeydew that may cause the growth of a sooty black fungus [Image}, and also attracts other insect pests. Yellowing leaves are also symptomatic. White flies are visible to the eye and will swarm in large groups when the plant is shaken. See Whitefly Control Products
Disesases
- Bacterial Wilt -Leaves turn dull green, then leaves, branches and finally the whole plant wilt and die. When the stem is cut and squeezed a sticky, stringy ooze comes out [Image]. The disease is spread by cucumber beetles. Cucumber beetle migration and feeding is favored by dry weather. The disease is favored by temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees and frequent dews. prevent its occurrence by controlling the beetles
Powdery mildew causes a white powdery growth on leaves and stems. Infected parts turn yellow, shrivel and plants are defoliated prematurely. Yield is greatly reduced and fruit quality is poor. The disease is prevelant in humid weather with frequent dew and temperatures between 70 and 90 degree [Image] Cucumber Mosaic causes mottled dark and light green, crinkled leaves. The disease is more noticeable on young leaves. Old leaves have V shaped dead areas extending from the leaf margins to the middle vein. The fruit are mottled, warty and misshapen. The disease is favored by poor weed control, as many weeds act as a host to the virus. The disease is spread by aphids and cucumber beetles. There is no chemical control [Image] Botrytis blight is a fungus disease which infects a wide array of plants, Cucumbers being no exception. There are several species of the fungus Botrytis which can cause blights; the most common is Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis infections are prominent following, wet spring and summer weather . Gray mold (A common name for Botrytis blight ) can be particularly damaging when rainy, drizzly weather continues over several days. Botrytis blight can affect leaves, stems, crowns, flowers, flower buds, seeds, seedlings, bulbs, and just about any other part of a plant with the exception of the roots. Angular Leaf Spot During warm, wet weather, bacterial angular leafspot can cause serious yield and quality loss to cucumbers. The bacterium, also infects zucchini, squash, and many varieties of Melon. [Image of infected fruit] [ Image of infected leaf ] Bitter Cukes - not really a disease, but it can render a cucumber crop unpalatable The bitterness that is sometimes noticed in cucumbers is because of a substance known as cucurbitacin. Cucurbitacin is a toxin that is believed to play a role in cucumber disease resistance. The higher the concentration of this substance, the more intense the bitter taste. A very high concentration of cucurbitacin can cause a painful stomachache. Bitter Cuke Syndrome (I made that up ) is usually triggered by some environmental stress on the plant., and there is no real treatment, it is generally not recurring if proper gardening practices are adhered to. See:
Harvest & Storage of Cucumbers
Harvest cucumbers before seeds are half-size. This will vary with variety. Pickling cucumbers will be more blocky and not as long as slicers. Store slicing cucumbers in the refrigerator . Place in plastic bag. Storage life is about one week. Do not Freeze
Pickling cucumbers should be cooled quickly in ice water and can be kept up to two days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not Freeze
See: Preserving the Harvest: Pickling
or similar support is also recommended
Cucumber plants in individual peat pots or cell packs experience little
or no transplant shock and become established quickly. 
" -the size of a tennis ball.
English hothouse cucumbers have a ridged or smooth skin, virtually no seeds, and
do not require peeling. 
which are also long, slender, many over a foot long, thin-skinned, and virtually
seedless.
Heavy yield of
smooth, 8-inch long straight and smooth
cucumber, dark skin and pure white flesh. 60
days
Hybrid's firm, nearly
seedless fruits are consistently straight and
cylindrical, for easy slicing. Dark green color,
average 8-10 in. length. Resistant to disease.
60 days
Abundant fruits on
compact bushes. 60-70 days
