Hollis Grain

Here’s an outline on how to plant cucumbers in a garden? Cucumber is an annual crop, which needs full sunlight to grow. It grows well in a well-drained soil with moderate to high organic matter and a soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0. As cucumber plants are tender, the soil should be warm, 18-24°C (65-75°F) for germination to begin. The soil should be kept moist; however, water logging destroys the crop. Usually cucumber takes 55 to 65 days to mature depending on the plant variety. Cucumber is a very tender plant and needs proper care and protection from pests.

The cucumber garden beds should be prepared 7 days before the planting is done. A fertilizer or compost should be added to the soil and mixed well. The seeds should be sowed in mounds of dirt about 8” tall and 6 feet apart. The cucumber seeds should be sowed 3-4 weeks prior to last frost. Later the plants are reduced to 3 to 4 per hill. Cucumber grows well, if planted in a group of 3 to 4 as it helps in effective pollination. If planting indoors, a 2-inch square pot should be sufficient and plant 1-2 seeds per pot and ensure only one cucumber plant grows in each pot. The cucumber seeds should be planted ½-1” deep and space the plants 6” apart in rows 4-6” apart. If growing on a trellis, the plants should be spaced 18” apart.

Cucumbers need full sun light. Cucumber also needs heavy fertilization to grow well. Hence, an application of compost or well-rotted manure is recommended. It is also highly beneficial to apply a complete soluble fertilizer during the growing season. A booster dose of fertilizers can be applied in liquid form once the plant starts to have vines. Cucumber plants should not be allowed to wither. To keep the plants in good vigor and healthy, watering should be done at frequent intervals. The cucumber saplings should be watered well before transplanting.  Watering should be done from under the leaves, and not at all from above. This helps to minimize the spread of plant diseases. It is good to make mulch around the cucumber plants before they start to vine. It helps to bring down the weeds and also helps in conserving moisture. Moreover, the mulch will also help to keep the fruit dirt free.

This being a wonderful account on how to plant cucumbers, let’s examine some common problems affecting cucumbers. The major pests attacking cucumbers are beetles and the red spider mites, which can be a big problem to cucumbers and flowers. Powdery and downy mildew are common diseases for cucumbers. To keep the pests away, it is recommended to cover the cucumber bed (after planting) with cheesecloth supported off the ground by a frame & enclosed through the sides. The cheesecloth could be removed once the plants begin to flower.

Cucumbers should be picked often and should not be allowed to ripen on these plantings. This would stunt the growth of the plant. The slicing cucumbers could be picked when they reach 6-8” long and the pickling cucumbers when they are at 3-5” long. The cucumber should be picked when they are young, otherwise it will turn bitter. It also allows the plant to produce more.