Post date: Feb 25, 2020 11:53:17 AM
Notes on Growing Cucumber:
Cucumber is a delightful crop to grow in the home garden. Very productive. One of the first creepers to go into the ground early April. Fruits from 60 days and yields through summer.
1. The plant will begin yielding as day length increases and temps move up. Cucumber does not like frost.
2. To get your first yield by end April/early May when weather begins to warm up, you need be sowing in March. Cucumber is the only vining plant that transplant and start in winter sowing jugs. All others I sow directly late spring/ early summer.
3. Cucumbers can also be started indoors. Yes, one seedling that can be put on the window sill. Large seeds, thick first leaves, and tendrils. Sow in a slightly big container and keep it near a sunny window.
4. You want the plant ready to go to the ground after last frost, when temps are good. Don’t sow later than Mar 24. Sow 6-10 seeds. Keep three strongest plants. (Give the rest to friends).
5. Transplant into well prepared ground, preferably on a mound to keep soil warm and dry, without disturbing the roots.
6. Cucumbers dislike wet feet. Rains also get the mildew. Make sure you have mulched heavily around the plant. I use leaf mulch. Some use layers of newspaper. Ensure the area is not water logged - a tough challenge in the rainy spring.
7. The plant needs a trellis. Or any arrangement for support to climb up. I use a cattle panel bent to an arch. You can use vertical trellis. Tilt to a slight angle backward instead of keeping it 90 degrees straight.
8. The plant needs full sun. 8 hours at least. Won’t fruit without that. And leaves will arrange themselves so they don’t shade one another. In a 90 degree vertical trellis, they will rush to the top.
9. Grow nasturtiums at the base. Deters cucumber beetles and pests.
10. Pick as they fruit. Encourages more fruit. By end May/ early June get ready to replace cucumbers with avarai ( chikkudu/flat beans). Direct sow the new seeds after clearing the base of plants’ leaves. As the new plant comes up, clip off the cucumber creeper. Allow to dry for a couple of days and throw into compost.
My favorites are Diva - a slicing pickling cucumber that is delicious as little fruits and General Lee - a copiously fruiting long slicing cucumber with tiny seed. Both available at Johnny Select Seeds and other outlets.