How to grow cucumbers (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to grow cucumbers? ›

Space cucumbers 36 to 60 inches apart (12 inches apart for trellised plants) in an area with abundant sun and fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. Cucumbers will grow quickly with little care.

Cucumbers are ready for harvest 50 to 70 days from planting, depending on the variety. Depending on their use, harvest on the basis of size. Cucumbers taste best when harvested in the immature stage (Figure 2). Cucumbers should not be allowed to reach the yellowish stage as they become bitter with size.

Cucumbers like warmth and lots of light! Cucumbers require fertile soil. Prior to planting, add about 2 inches of aged manure and/or compost to the bed and work it in to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Soil should be moist but well-draining (not soggy) and have a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0.

Cucumbers do best if they can climb instead of spread over the ground. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages so that the vines climb the structures.

Many growers start their first crop in May, but also make a second planting in mid- to late summer. This helps avoid insect pressures by planting between pest life cycles, all while ensuring a late summer harvest. Cucumbers are refreshing and great to have freshly picked and on hand.

You don't need a big garden to grow cucumbers. Just give them sunshine and consistent moisture and enjoy a bumper crop of crisp fruits all summer long. Plus, cucumbers grown in pots typically have fewer issues with pests and diseases so planting in containers can actually reduce potential problems.

Depending on who you ask, a healthy cucumber plant can be expected to produce 10 large cukes or 15 small ones within a harvest period of about three weeks.

Cucumbers perform best with regular, deep watering once a week or so and with more frequency if the weather is very hot for a period of days. Inadequate or inconsistent moisture can cause oddly shaped or poor-tasting fruit.

Cucumber Cucumis sativus

With the right care and attention a single plant can produce between 10 and 15 fruits – ample reward for your efforts!

When grown in pots, a 2-3-6 can provide all that your cucumbers need in their limited environment. In the ground, cucumbers would benefit from a 5-10-10 fertilizer. Or perhaps a 20-20-20, if your soil needs a little boost too.

What is the best fertilizer for growing cucumbers? ›

Cucumbers need moderate nitrogen and high phosphorus and potassium, so an organic plant food with the first number lower than the last two (like 3-4-6) is good.

Beyond proper water, fertilizing is a huge and vital key to success for growing cucumbers. Cucumbers, like many common garden crops, need a steady of supply of nutrients to thrive.

Tomatoes and cucumbers can be grown together successfully, and there are actually some benefits to planting them together. Both plants have similar growing needs when it comes to sunlight, soil conditions, and watering. And if space is at a premium, interplanting the two will allow you to get more out of your garden.

Cucumbers need large pots with plenty of soil, so they can develop extensive root systems to support vigorous growth and abundant crops. Choose a container that holds at least 5 gallons (or 20 quarts) of soil for each plant; a larger container is even better.

Planting 6 inches apart and 1 inch deep is typical for many cucumber varieties. If you're planting transplants, follow the instructions on the plant tag or label. Water thoroughly.

Two plants to avoid planting near cucumbers are melons and potatoes. Sage is not recommended as a companion plant near cucumbers either. While sage shouldn't be planted near cucumbers, oregano is a popular pest control herb and will do well as a companion plant.

There's nothing special you need to do to prepare cucumber seeds for planting, you can just sow them directly out of the packet. However, soaking them in warm water for 12-24 hours beforehand can help them germinate faster.

Cucumbers do not like wet soil. In fact, overwatering is one of the most common problems people have with growing cucumber plants. If the roots of the plant are constantly wet, they will start to rot. It's important to water cucumber plants only when the top inch of soil is dry.

According to the Texas A&M University Extension, cucumber plants like full sun. As such, they grow best when they get full sun for most of the day. What is this? Cucumber plants grow best with full sun (6 to 10 hours of sunlight per day).

A simple string trellis made of twine or jute strung between two posts provides all the support a cucumber needs to climb. This can be as simple as T-posts or wooden stakes driven into the ground, or it can be more decorative, like the wood-framed string trellis pictured here.

Are cucumbers easy to grow? ›

They are very easy to grow and are very prolific. Planted in a section of the garden that receives full sun and has an evenly moist, fertile soil, success in growing cucumbers is almost guaranteed. Like other summer vine crops, cucumbers are heavy feeders and demand a steady supply of water.

A: Avoid planting cucumbers close together. Cucumber roots and leaves need an ample amount of space in order to get the right amount of nutrients and have enough air space between leaves to prevent pests and diseases.

Fungal diseases like these thrive in humid conditions, and the closer your plants are spaced, the lower the air circulation is around them. Planting cucumber plants too closely can lead to a higher risk of disease. By following good cucumber plant spacing guidelines, you'll reduce disease prevalence.

Favorites like tomatoes, beans and cucumbers complete their entire life cycle in a single growing season and are killed by the first hard frost. There are few true perennial vegetable plants that come back year after year.

Feed your cucumber plants with a high nitrogen feed every two weeks. Cucumber plants like sun, but are prone to scorching, so some shade is preferable. Encourage greenhouse varieties to climb to boost yields.

Sunlight. Cucumber plants will produce the best with 6-8 hours of direct sun per day. But if that's not an option, they can still produce in partial or even full shade. A general rule of thumb is the less sun they get, the less fruit they'll yield.

Potassium Deficiency

Cucumbers tend to need a higher amount of potassium when it begins to flower. A possible sign that your cucumber plant has a potassium deficiency is that the leaves begin to turn yellow at the edges and tips. To solve this problem, use a well-balanced fertilizer.

To avoid a bitter tasting Cucumber, pick off male flowers once a week. If you allow the male flowers to develop and pollinate the female flowers, the fruits that develop will leave you with a nasty aftertaste as the seeds contain a bitter compound called cucurbitacin.

Young cucumber plants may get ahead of themselves and flower while they're still small. Clipping off the lower flowers redirects the energy to stem and leaf growth, leading to more fruit in the future.

Your cucumbers might be a bit weathered and worn come mid season. You can use Epsom Salts as a way to green them up and give them a boost. One time, mid season for your heavy feeding plants, is all you need in the way of Epsom Salts. Despite what you might hear, Epsom Salts work.

What does baking soda do for cucumber plants? ›

Baking soda on plants causes no apparent harm and may help prevent the bloom of fungal spores in some cases. It is most effective on fruits and vegetables off the vine or stem, but regular applications during the spring can minimize diseases such as powdery mildew and other foliar diseases.

Mix Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules. into the soil around your cucumber plants, following label instructions. This will provide extra nutrition to help cucumbers grow, and feeds for up to 6 weeks.

The biggest benefit after tomatoes is to cucumbers. Place the crushed shells of a dozen eggs right down in their planting holes to provide easy-to-reach calcium, and your cukes will be noticeably crisper — and that crispness will extend to any cukes that you put up into pickles.

Lack of water limits cucumber vine growth

Cucumber vines are thirsty, and they'll let you know if they don't receive ample irrigation water. If your vines wilt or are growing more slowly than you'd like, lack of sufficient water could be to blame.

Pots need holes in their bottom for drainage, and size does matter. Ideal pots are a foot or more in depth, and that size will increase your harvest. A pot that's 20 inches wide can accommodate four to six plants. Two or three plants will fit in a five-gallon bucket or grow one cucumber in a 10-inch-wide container.

A tomato feed will be near ideal for peppers and aubergines, all three belong to same family, solanaceae, as potatoes but cucumbers are cucurbits – members of the Cucurbitaceae family – like courgettes, marrows, pumpkins and squashes. A tomato feed is not ideal for this family and especially not the cucumber.

Vining vegetables like cucumbers actually make perfect companions to bushing veggies like peppers. They enjoy similar growing conditions and can grow together in about the same amount of space as a single plant. Ensure you trellis your cukes and plant your peppers in front so they aren't shaded by growing vines.

More Herbs & Flowers to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away: Don't just stop at planting Marigolds with your tomatoes. For further protection from pest bugs, you can also plant basil, beans, bee balm, borage, sweet alyssum, chives, garlic, nasturtium, mint, anise, onion, and parsley.

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi can stunt the growth of your tomato plant because they out-compete them for the same nutrients. These vegetables are in the brassica family.

Cucumbers can be grown successfully in many types of soils. The preferred soil is loose, well drained, and well supplied with organic matter and plant nutrients. In soils void of organic matter, work in 4-6" of finished compost or other humus to a depth of 10".

How long does it take to grow a cucumber? ›

It mainly depends on variety, weather conditions, nutrients etc., Generally cucumber plants take approximately 55 to 70 days from germination to harvesting stage.

Some cucumber varieties can grow as high as 6 to 7 feet tall, while other varieties will be less than one foot tall. However, any cucumber can only grow as tall as the trellis or support that it uses to climb.

Cucumbers require fertile soil. Prior to planting, add about 2 inches of aged manure and/or compost to the bed and work it in to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Soil should be moist but well-draining (not soggy) and have a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0. Improve clay soil by adding organic matter.

No, cucumbers do not need to climb in order to grow. However, trellising them will help keep them healthier and producing beautiful fruits.

Cucumbers need moderate nitrogen and high phosphorus and potassium, so an organic plant food with the first number lower than the last two (like 3-4-6) is good.

Depending on who you ask, a healthy cucumber plant can be expected to produce 10 large cukes or 15 small ones within a harvest period of about three weeks.

Your cucumbers might be a bit weathered and worn come mid season. You can use Epsom Salts as a way to green them up and give them a boost. One time, mid season for your heavy feeding plants, is all you need in the way of Epsom Salts.

Mix Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules. into the soil around your cucumber plants, following label instructions. This will provide extra nutrition to help cucumbers grow, and feeds for up to 6 weeks.

The cucumber plants are heavy feeders, so be sure to feed the soil with rich compost or aged manure. After the vines have developed runners and the first flowers have appeared, follow up with a side dressing of compost, aged manure, or organic fertiliser. If the leaves become yellowish, the plants need more nitrogen.

How often should cucumbers be watered? ›

Cucumbers perform best with regular, deep watering once a week or so and with more frequency if the weather is very hot for a period of days. Inadequate or inconsistent moisture can cause oddly shaped or poor-tasting fruit.

It's easier to keep an eye out for pests and diseases on trellised cucumbers. Vertically grown plants produce fewer misshapen fruits. Plus, they'll be easier to spot and harvest (no bending or stooping).

Most common cucumber varieties can easy be train to grow up a trellis that is 5 to 6 feet tall. Another often overlooked factor in figuring out the cucumber trellis is the height of the gardener; it would be counterproductive to build a trellis that stood 8 feet if you were less than 5 feet tall.