Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) belong to the same family as melons, watermelons, squashes, and gourds. They are a warm-weather vining plant that is grown for its refreshing and mild-tasting fruits.
They are sensitive to the cold, so the seeds should not be
planted until the soil has become warm enough for them to germinate -- usually
in late May to early June. Form a soil mound and plant a few seeds in the top
then water them well. The seedlings will sprout in a few days. Once they
develop their true leaves, you can then thin the seedlings to the strongest
couple of plants.
While the seedlings
are young, protect them from birds and insect pests with a floating row cover until the plants
start to flower. An organic vegetable fertilizer can be applied after the
plants start to bloom.
The cucumber plants do best in full sun, with very good
air circulation in soil that has excellent drainage. You can let the plants
sprawl on the ground or train them on a trellis. Trellising improves air
circulation, keeps the fruits from ground-dwelling pests, and makes it much
easier to safely harvest the cucumbers.
The cucumber patch should be kept mulched, weed-free,
and well-watered. Cucumber plants produce the best-tasting fruits when they are
not subjected to water fluctuations or drought.
The most familiar cultivars require pollination in order
to set fruit. They are usually monoecious, meaning that each cucumber plant has
both male and female flowers. If you find that the pollinators are not doing
the job fast enough for you, you can hand-pollinate the vines by plucking off a
male flower and “marrying” it to a female one. You’ll recognize the female
flowers as they have a tiny fruit at their base.
There is no need to prune cucumbers if you are growing
them outdoors and studies show that removing the leaves actually results in a
smaller harvest.
Cucumbers should be harvested as soon as they are ready.
Otherwise, they will quickly lose flavor, grow too large, and can become tough.
For
more tips about growing cucumbers, see our cover story in the July 2017 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.
Cucumbers
- You Can Grow That!
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This article about cucumbers really hit a note with me. Until recently, I used to think that I did not like cucumbers at all. They've now become part of my regular diet.
ReplyDeleteThe clear information provided in this article are creating enthusiasm in me to maybe try to grow them.
Thanks for a great piece!
Thank you for reading. Let us know how it grows for you, Gustavo.
Deletethanks for the post check how to fertilize cucumber plants
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