Cucumber Growing and Harvest Information
| Temperature | ||
| Germination | 60-95 F | |
| For Growth | 65-75 F | |
| Soil and Water | ||
| Fertilizer -Heavy feeder, before planting apply compost | ||
| Side-dressing - Apply every 2-3 weeks | ||
| pH | 5.5-7.0 | |
| Water | heavy | |
| Measurements | ||
| Planting depth | 1/2 - 1" | |
| Root depth | 12", tap root 2-3' | |
| Height | 6' | |
| Width | trellis - 12-15" On ground - 12-20 square feet | |
| Space between plants | ||
| In beds | 12" | |
| In rows | 24-48" | |
| Space between rows | 4' | |
| Average plants per person | 3-5 | |
| Support structure - Use a 6' post, A frame, tepee, or a trellis | ||
| Harvest | ||
| Allow the main stem to grow as high as possible by pinching back some of the lateral shoots and letting others grow into branches. By picking the fruit early, you won't have to support heavy fruit or risk arresting plant production. When the fruit is slightly immature, before seed coats become hard, pick with 1" of stem to minimize water loss. In warm weather, all cucumber plant types should be picked daily. Always pick open-pollinated varieties under ripe. Harvest pickling cucumbers at least 2-6" and slicing cucumbers at 6-10" | ||
| First Seed starting Date: 14-21days before last frost date | ||
| Last Seed Starting Date: 84-118 Days before first frost date | ||
| Companions | ||
| Companions: all beans, cabbage, eggplant, kale, melon, peas, sunflower, tomato | ||
| Incompatibles: Anise, basil, marjoram, potato, quack grass, rosemary, sage, strong herbs, summer savory | ||
Where
to grow Cucumbers:
Where a long, warm growing season, minimum 65 days, can be assured. Cucumbers are a warm-season crop, very tender to frost and light freezing. Cucumbers are difficult to grow where there are foggy, damp summers, as the plants are subject to mildews.
Reccomended Varieties of Cucumbers:
Most cucumbers are monoecius and produce both male and
female(fruit bearing) flowers. Gynoecious types bear
only female flowers, therefore a few male-flowering pollinators are
included in the seed packets. Both types require pollination
by bees. Parthenocarpic types produce few if any
seeds and require no pollination(develop without seeds), so they can be grown to maturity
under row covers. Bitter-free are resistant to damage from
cucumber beetles. Dwarfs are good candidates for intercropping
with tomatoes and peppers, but they must have a constant water
supply. All types must be picked daily in warm weather.
Since cucumbers are susceptible to many virus diseases and wilts,
the selection of modern disease-resistant varieties is highly
recommended. The following show resistance to all or many
cucumber maladies: Marketmore Hybrid, Tablegreen 65, Spartain
Valor; Marketer; Burpee Hybrid. All female(gynecious)
varieties: Gemini; Victory; Pioneer; Mariner.
Pickling varieties: SMR 18; West India Gherkin; Pioneer;
Mariner
Burpless varieties: Burpless 26, Sweet Slice
Tub-type varieties: Patio Pik; Cherokee
Novelties: Lemon (fruit size and color of a lemon); China or
Kyoto (an extra long cucumber.)
Soil for Growing Cucumbers:
A fertile clay soil supports good cucumber growth if it is enriched with well-rotted manure and compost to aid its water-retentive qualities.
Planting Cucumbers:
Germination in 7-10 days
When: Warm soil (65 degrees) is necessary for
cucumbers to take hold. The plants are very susceptible to
frost. Where there is a very short growing season, cucumbers
can be planted in peat pots indoors a month to 6 weeks before
planting outdoors. Cucumbers do not take readily to
transplanting, and should be handled so that their roots are not
disturbed. If necessary, transplant seedlings on a cloudy day
or in the afternoon to minimize transplanting shock. If there is
ample garden space, the vines can be allowed to sprawl over the
ground. Use a mulch, black plastic, straw or salt hay to keep
the fruit clean. For small gardens, plan on training them to a
trellis or support of some kind. This not only keeps the fruit
clean and off the ground for quick ripening, but enables the fruit
to grown straighter.
How: Where there is ample space and vines can sprawl,
the simplest way is to plant cucumbers in hills, with several plants
placed together. Space hills 4 feet apart each way and plant
about 8 seeds per hill. Thin to the 3 strongest plants when
the seedlings are about 4 inches high. Since cucumbers grow
along rapidly once started, the ground should be prepared well in
advance. Work a deep planting hole where each hill will be.
Add a spade full of well-rotted manure, and a generous handful of
5-10-10 or bone meal and rock potash. Work in well and cover
with soil before planting the seeds about an inch deep. The
same soil preparation works well if the vines are to be trained on a
support or grown in patio tubs.
How Cucumber Grows:
Once started, the cucumber vine grows along quite rapidly, putting out hairy stems with large, attractive leaves. The vines produce tendrils and can be trained to climb readily. The male (pollen-bearing) flowers will appear on the plant first, but do not produce fruit. A week or so later the female flowers appear, and produce the oval, elongated cucumber. The modern gynoecious (all-female) varieties are popular because they start bearing as soon as the first flowers appear. Seed packets contain enough of the good male pollen carrier to assure proper fertilization of these newer varieties.
Cultivating Cucumbers:
Once cucumbers start growing they must have a constant supply of soil moisture. If it is lacking, the plants stop growth in a "holding position" until there is more soil moisture. It is therefore important to grow cucumbers near a water supply. Keep weeds down with shallow cultivation or by growing the vines on black plastic mulch. Or mulch rows heavily with straw, salt hay, grass clippings, or partially rotted compost. When the plants are about 4 inches high, add a high-nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal or cottonseed meal, or water the plants with fish emulsion. Avoid stepping on vines as they develop.
| Storage Requirements | ||
| Keep the short piece of stem on each fruit during storage | ||
| Fresh | ||
| Temperature | Humidity | Storage Life |
| 45-55 F | 85-95% | 10-14 days |
| Preserved | ||
| Method | Taste | Shelf Life |
| Canned | good (pickles) | 12+ months |
| Frozen | good | 8 months |
| Dried | poor | |
Harvesting Cucumbers:
50-70 days. Never work around wet cucumber vines, as they are susceptible to many diseases that spread when leaves are wet. Since more than 50 percent of the cucumber is water, the fruit must be picked when it is succulent and green (immature) for best taste. If the fruit starts to turn yellow, it is past its prime and the seeds will be dark and ripe. Harvest cucumbers every 2-3 days, and promptly pick the fruits as they reach the desired size. If any mature cucumbers are left on the plants, production will stop, so harvest carefully and remove any badly shaped or mature fruits.
Cucumber Pests:
- Striped cucumber beetle (East Coast). Spotted cucumber beetle
(West Coast): This is essentially the same pest, which
changes its coat depending on which coast it chooses. Adults
overwinter on garden debris, so good fall cleanup is the first step
in control.
- Squash bug - Handpick adults and leaves bearing
eggs. If boards are placed between rows in the evening, these
insects will hide under them and can be destroyed in the early
morning by uncovering and killing them.
- Vine borers - These pests are usually not seen
until the damage is done. Good fall cleanup to destroy
overwintering eggs is important.
Cucumber Diseases:
Grow resistant varieties.
