Cucumbers Gardening

A widely love summer edible with its amazing hydrating properties, Cucumber is cultivated all over the world in immense amounts. Scientifically called the Cucumis sativus, Cucumbers belong to the Cucurbitaceae gourd family and grow like a vine. The plants are harvested multiple times during the summer season and need high temperature as well as intense sunlight to fruit well. Below, we are covering all that you should know about cucumber gardening.

Different Cucumber Plant Varieties

The different cucumber varieties are as follows:

• Vining Cucumbers:These grow on vines that have large leaves. The fruit is cleaner and big and has a better yield.
• Bush Cucumbers: Best for small gardens and pots. Grow on the ground and the fruit is full of mud and soil at times. Often smaller than the vining cucumbers and have lesser yield too.

Besides these two, there are many other sub-varieties of cucumbers that almost everyone can grow. These include the following:

• Burpless Bush Hybrid
• Boston Pickling
• Lemon Cucumbers
• Sassy / Calypso
• Parisian Pickling

Cucumber Harvest Time

Like many other summer edibles, cucumbers are also best planted when the last spring frost has gone by and there is no chance for another frost to occur. You can start planting the cucumbers right when the warm season begins, ideally around 15 days after the last spring frost. However, the cucumber seeds have to be given a chance of indoor growth before they are sown in beds. This means you can start planting the seeds in pots indoors around 3 weeks before you plan on transplanting them in an outdoor soil bed. Once planted, the cucumber seeds require around 2 and a half months before you can harvest them. However, you have to be very careful here and keep a regular note of cucumbers’ color 50 days after they have been planted. Do not let the vegetable hanging with the vine after till it develops yellowing. Rather, it is best to remove the cucumber around 8-10 days after the first flower opens on the vine. Cucumbers harvested at such a time are sweet and fresh with the most perfect kind of ripeness.

Cucumber Water And Light Requirements

Cucumbers need water every day. Unless it is extremely hot, you can water the soil up in a way that the water is around 1 inch above the soil before being absorbed. As for the light required cucumbers need full sun, directly shedding its light over them for the most part of the day. However, cucumber plants can do well even with intense sun exposure for just 5 hours each day too. The best temperature range for cucumbers is around 20 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit and they mostly grow in zones 4 and 12.

Cucumber Growing Method

If you live in the right region and have enough space for a plantation, you can easily plant cucumbers in a quantity that is more than enough for a household with around 8-10 people. All you have to do is to carefully follow the steps below:

• Select a garden area that receives full sun for the most part of the day. Make sure the soil here is healthy, moist, well-drained, and does not get soggy easily.
• Now, get some fertilizer and compost and mix it in a way that it reaches down to 8 inches deep in the soil.
• Ensure soil’s pH anywhere between 6.5 and 7.
• If you have time, add organic matter and manure to the soil and let it sit for 2-3 days before planting the seeds you grew indoors or the small cucumber plants you got from nurseries
• Now, plant the small growth 1 inch deep in the soil and make sure each row is at a distance of 2-3 inches from one another. You can also plant the seeds in a hills-like assembly with the spacing of 1-2 feet between each mound or hill.
• Keep a check on temperature after the cucumbers have been planted. If it goes anywhere below 70-degree F, use black plastic to cover the soil and keep it warm.
• Keep the plantation watered and cover its sides with mulch or straws for extra safety. Also, keep removing the extra growths and use insecticides for a fruitful harvest later.

Common Pests And Diseases

Like every other plantation, cucumbers are also prone to pests and infections that render their growth and, if not taken seriously, ruins the entire plantation area. Hence, it is important to be aware of the most common cucumber diseases like the ones below:

• Pollination Problem:The plants not resulting in any fruit is a common issue with cucumbers. It happens when all the first grown flowers are males, and no female flower blooms with them. This often happens when the seeds used are very old and is almost never avoidable no matter what you do. The only thing you can do to ensure better pollination is to let those bees come and sit over your plants. Or simply use Q-tip to transfer the pollen.
• Bugs and Beetles:Again, these are quite common and can affect the seedlings as well as the grown vines. Use pesticides and let the air cross through the planted area to avoid these.
• Aphids:They love all vegetable plants, but insecticides and proper management of the plants can help avoid their occurrence

Remedies And Caring Tips For Disease Prevention

Here are some ways you can help prevent cucumber plant diseases and can ensure better fruit:

• Keep the planted area warm and let the sunlight reach it directly.
• Make sure you only water the plant on soil level and avoid direct watering the leaves or vine
• Ensure ventilation around the plants and do not let them have a lot of moisture over the leaves and flowers
• Keep the soil fertilized with compost and other organic matter
• Don’t let the cucumbers grow extra-large before harvesting. It turns them bitter

Don’t pull out the fruit. Use scissors or a knife to remove it.