How to Grow - CUCUMBERS


 Cucumbers are one of those vegetables that can make you feel like a successful gardener pretty quickly. Once the weather warms up, the vines grow fast and it doesn't take long before you're searching through the leaves for cucumbers.

They're also easy enough for a beginning gardener. Give them warm weather, sunshine, plenty of water, and somewhere to grow, and they'll do most of the work themselves.

Whether you want cucumbers for salads, fresh eating, or homemade pickles, here's what you really need to know.

    🥒 QUICK GROWING GUIDE

    Sun: Full sun, at least 6–8 hours
    Plant: After danger of frost has passed
    Planting depth: About 1 inch
    Spacing: About 12 inches apart when trellised
    Water: Keep consistently watered
    Fertilizer: Feed when plants begin flowering
    Support: Trellis recommended for vining varieties
    Harvest: Pick while young and firm
    Difficulty: Easy

    BUSH OR VINING CUCUMBERS?

    There are two basic types of cucumber plants: vining cucumbers and bush cucumbers.

    Vining cucumbers are the most common. The vines can take up quite a bit of garden space if they're allowed to grow along the ground, but they're easy to train up a trellis or fence.

    I prefer getting the vines off the ground because the cucumbers are cleaner, easier to find and pick, and it gives the plants better airflow.

    Bush cucumbers stay much more compact, making them a great choice for containers or small gardens.

    HOW TO PLANT CUCUMBERS

    Cucumbers love warm weather, so don't rush them.

    Wait until the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed before planting.

    Cucumbers are easy to grow from seed and can be planted directly in the garden. There's really no need to start them indoors unless you want an early start.

    Plant the seeds about 1 inch deep.

    If you're growing cucumbers on a trellis, space plants about 12 inches apart. If you're letting them spread across the ground, give them considerably more room.

    Keep the soil moist while you're waiting for the seeds to sprout. You'll usually see seedlings within about a week or two.

    CARING FOR CUCUMBERS

    Sunlight

    Give cucumbers plenty of sunshine. Six to eight hours of direct sun is a good goal.

    Watering

    If there's one thing I wouldn't neglect with cucumbers, it's water.

    Cucumbers have shallow roots and can dry out fairly quickly, especially during hot summer weather. Keep the soil consistently moist once the plants are growing and producing.

    You don't need to follow a complicated watering schedule. Check the soil. If it's getting dry, water.

    A layer of mulch around the plants can help hold moisture in the soil and keep weeds under control.

    Fertilizing

    You don't need an elaborate fertilizer schedule.

    Once the cucumber plants begin flowering, give them an all-purpose vegetable fertilizer according to the package directions.

    If they're still growing and producing well, another feeding a few weeks later can help keep them going.

    SHOULD YOU TRELLIS CUCUMBERS?

    You don't have to, but I think it makes growing cucumbers much easier.

    A garden trellis, fence, cattle panel, or just about anything sturdy enough for the vines to climb will work.

    The vines naturally grab onto the support with little curling tendrils.

    Growing vertically also makes the cucumbers much easier to see—which is important because they can hide amazingly well underneath all those leaves!

    LOTS OF FLOWERS BUT NO CUCUMBERS?

    Don't panic if your plant starts blooming but you don't immediately see cucumbers.

    Cucumber plants produce male and female flowers, and the male flowers often appear first.

    The female flowers are easy to recognize because you'll see what looks like a tiny cucumber directly behind the flower.

    Bees and other pollinators normally move pollen between the flowers for you.

    If you have plenty of flowers but the tiny cucumbers are turning yellow and falling off instead of growing, poor pollination may be the problem.

    IF YOUR CUCUMBERS AREN'T DOING WELL

    Cucumbers taste bitter: Hot weather and inconsistent watering can contribute to bitter cucumbers. Keep the plants consistently watered and don't let the fruit get too large before picking.

    Leaves are wilting: Check the soil first. Cucumbers can wilt quickly when they're thirsty, especially on hot afternoons.

    Leaves have holes: Look underneath the leaves for cucumber beetles or other insects.

    Leaves have a white powdery coating: This is often powdery mildew. Good airflow around the plants can help.

    Tiny cucumbers turn yellow and fall off: Poor pollination is a common reason.

    HARVESTING CUCUMBERS

    Here's something I wish every new gardener knew:

    Don't wait for cucumbers to get huge.

    Bigger isn't necessarily better.

    Pick them while they're young, firm, and the right size for the variety you're growing. Cucumbers that stay on the vine too long can become tough, seedy, or bitter.

    Once your plants really start producing, check them every day or two.

    And look carefully. A cucumber can somehow be completely invisible one day and look enormous the next!

    Regular picking also encourages the plant to continue producing.

    DON'T OVERTHINK GROWING CUCUMBERS

    Cucumbers really don't need much.

    Plant the seeds once the weather is warm. Give them sunshine. Keep them watered. Give vining varieties something to climb. Fertilize them when they start flowering.

    Then start looking for cucumbers.

    You can certainly make growing cucumbers more complicated, but you don't have to.