Learning how to grow cucumbers can be of great help to all lovers of vegetables. Cucumbers are very easy to grow and care for, all they need is consistent watering and sunlight.

One very interesting fact about cucumbers is that they can be eaten in different ways. Whether in cocktails, salads, or even sandwiches; cucumbers are there to serve you.

Let’s briefly look at everything you need to know about cucumbers before we dive into how to grow them.

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1. About Cucumbers

Cucumbers are refreshing vegetables that contain high water content. They help to hydrate the body and are of different varieties that can be grown outdoors or in a greenhouse.

Cucumbers can be grown for food or medicinal purposes. The outdoor cucumbers which are also known as ridge cucumbers develop well in cooler climates. They are sometimes very rough to touch.

Unlike outdoor cucumbers, greenhouse cucumbers produce smooth fruits and do not need any extra warmth for the plant to bloom.

2. Health Benefits of Cucumbers

Cucumbers have many health benefits, some of which include:

2.1. Skin Care

The nutritional contents of cucumbers are very beneficial to skin health. When you apply sliced cucumber directly on your skin, it helps to reduce swelling and irritation. It can help to lessen sunburn and soothe the skin.

When you place sliced cucumbers on the eyes, it helps to reduce morning puffiness or eye bags. Cucumbers can serve as a natural toner.

Follow these steps to achieve this;

• Blend the cucumber to collect the fruit.
• Rub all over the skin and leave for about 30 minutes
• Rinse out the toner. This will help clear the pores as it contains astringent properties

Cucumbers are safe to be used on the skin and should be applied accordingly.

2.2. Hydration

Since cucumbers contain mostly water, they help to prevent dehydration after a vigorous workout session. If you’re someone who does not like drinking water all the time, adding cucumber to your diet can help you stay hydrated.

You should know that when you stay hydrated, it helps protect your intestine and prevents kidney stones and even constipation.

2.3. Controlling Diabetes

Cucumbers contain substances that can help lower blood sugar and also stop the increase of blood glucose. This can help control and prevent diabetes.

The cucurbitacins found in cucumber can help to regulate insulin release and also help in the metabolism of hepatic glycogen.

The fiber contained in the fruit can help manage type 2 diabetes. They also provide essential nutrients to the body.

2.4. Cardiovascular Health

Since fiber can help manage cholesterol and also help prevent cardiovascular problems, it is safe to conclude that cucumbers help in cardiovascular health.

They provide a reasonable amount of potassium and magnesium which are essential for the body. It has been recommended that depending on the sex and age, adults should consume 4700mg of potassium daily.

3. How to Grow Cucumbers

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It is pretty easy to grow cucumbers from seeds. You’ll have to sow the seeds from mid-spring into small pots or in a general mixing pot.

Follow these steps to learn how to grow your cucumbers:

1. Plant your seeds in small pots or trays and ensure to place seeds about 3cm deep and provide water consistently.

2. For cucumbers to fully germinate, they need a temperature of at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It is advisable to place the pots in a propagator or wait till late spring for faster germination.

3. Germination should occur within a few days after this. Ensure to keep your potting mix moist.

4. Ensure that the cucumber seedlings are not cold, they should stay above 53 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Once your seedlings have developed to about 10 inches, you can place them into grow bags, pots, or in a vegetable garden.

6. You can check for late frost and cover with horticultural fleece if necessary. You can also tie your cucumber plants to settings or canes for support as they germinate

7. Don’t starve your cucumber plants. They need water to survive, so ensure to water them daily as they grow.

8. Harvest the cucumbers when they are ripe enough for consumption

4. How to Grow Greenhouse Cucumbers

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You can grow greenhouse cucumbers in beds, large containers, or growing bags.

Follow these steps;

1. If you’re using grow bags to grow your cucumbers, you’ll have to plant two cucumbers in each bag. These bags will help preserve moisture each time you water the plant

2. Next is to place supports like vertical wires, canes, and nettings. Then, you’ll have to pinch out the tips of the side shoots of each fruit. The aim is to leave two leaves after each fruit.

3. Use fertilizers high in potassium on the plants and make sure they are moist at all times

4. You can try separating the male flowers from the greenhouse cucumbers to prevent bitter fruits. To be able to identify a female flower, you’ll see a swelling of the embryonic fruit behind each bloom.

5. How to Grow Outdoor Cucumbers

Early summer or late spring is the best time to plant outdoor cucumbers.

If you’re looking to know how to plant outdoor cucumbers, follow these steps:

1. Since cucumbers thrive well on rich fertile soil, you’ll have to dig in well-rotted organic matter before you begin planting.

2. Set your plants to about 45cm apart when growing cucumbers upwards. If you prefer to let them spread over the soil surface, you should set them about 90cm apart.

3. To make your plants produce fruiting side shoots, you’ll have to pinch out the growing points. The pinching should be done after six leaves have been formed

4. You may need to tie your climbing cucumbers to vertical supports like bamboo canes when the fruits start to mature.

6. When to Plant Cucumbers

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1. The perfect time to plant cucumbers for early germination is to plant them indoors for about three weeks after which you plant them outside into the ground.

2. Ensure that there is a bottom heat of about 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a heating pad or you can just place the seed flats on a water heater or on a refrigerator.

3. Cucumbers should be transplanted into the ground two weeks after the frost date. Cucumbers cannot stand cold and are prone to cold damage; the soil should be at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit for successful germination.

If you’re planting in cooler climates, you’ll need to warm up the soil by covering it with black plastic before planting begins.

4. You should know that in warm soil, cucumbers grow and germinate in 6 weeks. You should also make successive plantings if you want a continuous harvest throughout the season.

7. Where to Plant Your Cucumbers

1. You should plant your cucumbers in full sun as they need enough light to germinate properly.

2. Cucumbers thrive well on organic soil, ensure to prepare the planting beds in advance of planting. Do this by adding 5 to 7cm of organic planting mixing, aged compost, and well-rotted manure to the beds.

3. You should place a black plastic to warm up the soil in preparation for planting.

4. Cucumbers thrive on a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8 and can also tolerate a soil pH of 7.6.

5. Tie the plants to supports so that the cucumber vines would have a place to run up. Ensure to use a trellis of 1.2 to 1.8m tall.

8. How to Plant and Space Cucumbers

1. You should plant cucumber seeds 2.5cm deep in the soil.

2. Remember to plant the seeds at the base of the vertical support at 15 to 20-cm intervals.

3. Once you notice that the seedlings are 7 to 10cm tall, thin them to the strongest plants that were placed 30 to 47cm apart.

4. Using scissors, cut off weak seedlings at the soil level. This will help prevent disturbing the root of the plants.

5. When grooming vining varieties, you should have a cage or a tripod in place at planting time. The ideal wire cage for growing vining cucumbers is a 30 to a 45-cm diameter wire cage.

9. Varieties of Cucumbers to Plant

There are different cucumber varieties available if you want to start out planting cucumbers.

Some of the recommended varieties include;

• Bush Crop: This is known as a dwarf variety cucumber. An interesting fact about the bush crop is that it has a high yield. It is also refreshing to eat fresh. For a continuous harvest, plant this variety every two weeks.
• Sweet Success: Since it doesn’t need pollinators to germinate, this variety is the best for greenhouses. It also produces fruits without seeds.
• Boston Pickling: This is an heirloom variety bred that is good for pickling.
• Calypso: This variety of cucumbers is resistant to diseases. It also has a high yield and is ideal for pickling.
• Lemon Cucumbers: This produces really sweet and yellow fruits. They should be harvested immediately after they turn yellow. Kids love this variety.
• Slicing Cucumbers: They are usually green-skinned and mature in 4 to 6 weeks. An example is burpless cultivars which are easy to digest.

10. How to Grow Cucumbers in Pots

Growing cucumbers in pots is an amazing idea when it comes to vegetable gardening. You just have to get a large container to plant your cucumbers.

You can plant two in each container and make sure to water consistently so the soil doesn’t dry out.

You should be aware that dwarf or mini-cucumbers varieties will grow in a pot. The pot can be 15cm wide and deep, a larger pot is better.

Make use of a 30 to 40-cm trellis or any kind of support to increase the yield of your cucumber. To be able to manage the plant for more rapid growth, pinch out the growing tip when the plant has up to seven leaves.

11. How to Grow Cucumbers Vertically

Even though you can grow your cucumbers on the ground, it is ideal to grow them vertically. This will help save space and protect the fruits from any form of harm.

You can grow your cucumbers on tripods or climbing frames. If you want to fully support the fruits, you can add nettings to the vertical frames.

You can also grow your cucumbers in such a way that it forms a tree.

12. How to Water Cucumbers

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1. Consistently water the soil and make sure the soil doesn’t dry out. For faster and rapid growth, cucumbers require regular watering.

2. To prevent fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, make sure to always water at the base of plants.

3. You should give cucumbers one inch of water every week during summer. A soaker hose could be of great help in the watering process.

4. Once you notice that the plants are wilted in the morning, it means the soil is dried up. Hence, there should be immediate watering of the plant.

5. If you do not consistently water your plants, they will produce irregularly shaped or bitter-tasting cucumbers.

6. If you want to measure the soil moisture, all you need to do is to stick your index finger in the soil. Once it comes out dry, you should know that it is time to water the plant.

12.1. Cucumber Companion plants

When growing cucumbers, there are plants that you should grow with them. There are also plants that you shouldn’t grow with them.

You should grow your cucumbers with;

• pumpkins
• beans
• squash
• corn
• peas

You shouldn’t grow them with;

• herbs
• potatoes

13. Flowering and Fruit Formation of Cucumbers

1. You should know that cucumbers have both male and female flowers. The male flowers are the first flowers to appear and they do not produce fruits.

2. A week after the male flowers must have appeared, the female flower appears. To identify a female flower, you’ll see a cucumber-shaped swelling at the end of the flower.

3. When bees or other insects transfer pollen from the male to the female flower, the female flowers are pollinated.

4. Since the life span of the females is longer than that of the males, you should plant seeds every week so that there will be both male and female flowers in the garden.

5. You can sprinkle sugar water on the plants to attract the bees which will help in pollination.

6. It is ideal to use a soft-bristled brush to hand-pollinate flowers if your plants are in a greenhouse where pollination cannot naturally occur.

7. Keep in mind that a cucumber fruit growing from vertical support will grow straight under the force of gravity.

8. Ensure that cucumber growing on the ground should be placed on a piece of wood or on tiles to prevent the fruit from having direct contact with the soil.

This will let the cucumber grow without much exposure to insects and diseases.

14. Cucumber Pests and Cucumber Diseases

There are common pests and diseases that affect cucumbers.

14.1. Pests

• Squash bugs
• Cucumber beetles
• slugs

14.2. Diseases

• Scab
• Cucumber mosaic virus
• Bacterial wilt

15. How to Harvest Cucumbers

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These are all you need to know about harvesting cucumbers:

1. Cucumbers should be ready to be harvested from 55 to 65 days from planting.

2. You should harvest your cucumbers as soon as they are mature enough. When left past the maturity period, they will suppress the development of new fruits and flowers.

3. Most cucumbers are best harvested when they are 15 to 20cm in length

4. Make use of garden clippers or scissors to clip off cucumbers from the plants. Dragging the fruit off the plants can damage the plants.

5. Ensure to pick your pickling cucumbers when they are 2.5 to 15 cm long. They should also be picked up every two days.

6. You should pick burpless cucumbers when they are 10 inches long.

16. Secrets to Growing your Cucumbers

To achieve massive harvests in growing your cucumbers, there are key secrets you must take note of;

16.1. Planting in Mounds

When planting in containers, ensure that the primary stem is planted above the surrounding soil. Cucumber plants do not waste time rotting; raised planting will protect the main plant stem during heavy rainfall.

16.2. Crop Rotation

Just like tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers can easily develop soil-borne diseases when continually planted in the same space. Practice crop rotation each season.

This helps the soil to recover, reduce long-term infestation and minimize diseases. You should wait at least four years before planting cucumbers in one location to achieve a bountiful harvest.

16.3. Transplanting

Transplanting is the best way to grow your cucumbers. This will give the plant the strength to fight beetle attacks. You should plant two transplants by cucumber mounds.

16.4. Planting for Morning Sun

To achieve a massive harvest, plant cucumbers in an area that receives a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight daily. This is because cucumbers rely heavily on photosynthesis to produce productive veins.

Early morning sun is also very important for your cucumbers; they help to dry off vines from the early morning dew.

16.5. Harvesting Regularly

Ensure to harvest your cucumbers when they are ripe enough for consumption. For continuous production, they should be picked on a regular basis.

If you leave out the cucumbers for too long, they become bitter and full of seeds. Fertilizing cucumbers also helps in the massive harvest.

17. In the End

Cucumbers are not so difficult to plant. You just need to consistently water the plant and make sure it receives adequate sunlight. Practicing crop rotation and harvesting regularly are some of the major secrets to a bountiful harvest.

We hope we’ve satisfied your curiosity about how to grow cucumbers. Kindly share this information and leave a comment below.

Last Updated on August 5, 2024 by Sathi