Garden

How to Grow Cucumbers

OVERVIEW

Cucumbers are creeping vines that grow on the ground, or up trellises fences and other supporting frames. They have thin, spiraling tendrils that can cling to poles, wires and branches. They have large leaves which create a canopy over the fruit.

Organic Cucumbers are one of my favorites especially when they are fresh from the garden.

SOWING OF CUCUMBERS

Always sow your organic cucumber seeds in rich, warm soil. This should be done after the last danger of frost in your area has passed, as cold soil will inhibit the germination of the cucumber seeds. Cucumbers are definitely a summer vegetable as they like the heat. Your first planting of this crop should be done in late spring, and, depending upon the variety you are growing, there will sometimes be enough of the season left to plant a second crop in the late summer for harvesting in early autumn.

Sow your seeds 1′ to 2′ apart in your rows, between 1/2″ to 1″ deep in the soil, and with about 3 seeds in each spot. Once the plants germinate and begin to sprout, you can thin them out to only the healthiest-looking plants. If you are growing your seedlings in a greenhouse, make sure to not let them get too big before you transplant. Also, make sure that the soil that you are moving the seedlings to outside has had ample time to warm up. In order to get a head start on the growing season, black plastic mulch over your rows can help to effectively warm up your soil before transplanting. Give the soil a good helping of compost before you plant, and once the vines begin to appear, add another layer of compost around the plants and turn it into the soil.

Because cucumbers have a very shallow root system, they are not adept at digging deep into the soil in pursuit of a water supply. Therefore, planting them in good, moist soil and keeping the plants well watered throughout the growing period are absolutely essential for growing a successful organic cucumber crop.

Once again, we find that the cucumber beetle will be the most common insect you’ll find helping himself to a meal in your organic garden. The cucumber beetle eats the leaves, vines, and flowers of cucumbers, squash, and melons. He knows a tasty vegetable like this one when he sees it! Remember, the little beetles are having their lives, too, and are looking for something to eat just as you are. Be good to the insects, to your crops, and to the environment by refraining from using any kind of chemical pesticides to combat this little bug. Simply remove the cucumber beetles from your plants, and give the leaves and stems a rub with a clove of garlic. The smell of garlic will keep the bugs away, and you will be taking care of your plants and your health the organic way! Also, keep a lookout for aphids, which can develop and grow in little colonies underneath the cucumber leaves. Treat the plant with garlic the same way you would for deterring the cucumber beetles.

You may have experienced, as we certainly have, that a crop of healthy and rapidly growing plants will suddenly become yellowed and discolored, begin to wilt, and quickly die. Why do some plants look to be in the prime of health one day, only to start dying the next? The most likely answer is that they have succumbed to bacterial wilt disease. This disease actually comes from the cucumber beetles themselves, and it is why it is so important to be on the lookout for these insects and to remove them from your plants as quickly as possible.

HARVESTING

You should harvest any variety of cucumber in the early part of the day. Cucumbers don’t do as well when they are picked in the heat of the afternoon. Store your cucumbers in the refrigerator for up to three days for the best freshness.

Whether you are growing slicing cucumbers or pickling cucumbers, always pick the fruit when they are between 6″ to 8″ in length. If the cucumbers are allowed to grow longer than that, they begin to get tough and the seeds inside become hard. Never leave over ripe cucumbers on the vines. If the vines are not picked clean of fruit, they will stop producing cucumbers.

There’s nothing like a fresh cucumber, straight from your organic garden. Even compared to the superb quality of a farmer’s market organic cucumber, nothing beats one of these vegetables when they are picked fresh and delivered onto your dinner table minutes later. Enjoy this crisp, tasty crop all summer long along with your other summer vegetables like tomatoes and squash.

COMPANION PLANTING OF CUCUMBERS

Bush bean, cabbage family, corn, dill, eggplant, lettuce, radish, pea, tomato are all good companions for cucumbers.

Habit = herbaceous vine
Width = 25 square feetsn
Lifespan = annual
Origin = India
Exposure = full sun
Water = maintain even moisturesn
USDA Zones: all zones
Sunset Zones: all zones sn
* Can reach 60 cm long and 10 cm in diameter in some varieties