{"id":1274,"date":"2019-09-02T07:13:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T07:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?page_id=1274"},"modified":"2019-10-07T02:17:16","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T02:17:16","slug":"cucumber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/02\/cucumber\/","title":{"rendered":"Cucumber"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cucumis\nsativus<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: This tropical species is thought to have come from India or\nthereabouts and has a very long history of cultivation there. It reached Europe\nearly enough to have been widely grown by the time of the Romans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays cucumbers are one of the most popular home garden\nvegetables. This isn\u2019t surprising as they are tasty, productive and have an\nextended harvest season (though they do take up quite a bit of space).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Cucumbers are a good source of water (96%). They also contain\nsome vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants.\nAs a source of energy they contain 68 calories per pound (not exactly rocket\nfuel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Cucumber\nis a tropical plant and needs warm (70 – 80\u00b0F) sunny days, mild nights and plenty\nof water for best growth. They can\u2019t stand any frost at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Like the related squash the cucumber is a\npretty easy plant to grow, so long as it gets good soil and warm weather (and\npests and diseases don\u2019t get too bad ). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Cucumber\nrates close to the bottom on the self-sufficiency scale. It takes quite a bit\nof room to grow and is very low in nutritional value (you could starve to death\ngrowing and eating cucumbers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.8 – 7.0) 7.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers grow rapidly once established and to sustain their high\nlevel of growth they need a rich soil. It should be loose, moisture retentive\nand well-drained, with lots of organic matter. Raised beds are good because\nthey help the soil warm up quickly and provide good drainage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Incorporate 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure into the top 6\u02dd of\nsoil. Add lime if the soil is acidic, as they don\u2019t like a low pH. They don\u2019t\nlike salt either, so watch what kind of manure you use. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cool areas with plenty of rain, cucumbers are often grown in\nraised hills, ridges or beds, as this helps the soil to warm up faster. This\ndoesn\u2019t work so well in hot dry areas though, as they tend to dry out more\nquickly and so need more irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: For maximum production cucumbers need full sun (at least 8 hours\ndaily). They can grow well enough with light shade, but will be less\nproductive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t plant cucumbers where any of the Cucurbits (cucumber, melon\nor squash) have grown within the last three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Cucumbers are native to the tropics and absolutely must have\nwarm soil (60\u00b0F minimum – 70\u00b0F better) for good germination and growth.\nConsequently they are among the last crops to be planted out in spring. Most\nvarieties fruit better in short days, so tend to be more productive later in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucurbits in general (squash, melons, cucumbers) are all easy to\nstart from seed, though they don\u2019t like transplanting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Cucumbers<\/strong>  

Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 60 (65 – 75) 105\u00b0F
Germination time: 3 – 10 days
13 days \/ 59\u00b0F
6 days \/ 68\u00b0F
4 days \/ 77\u00b0F
3 days \/ 86\u00b0F * Optimum
3 days \/ 95\u00b0F
Germination percentage: 80%+
Viability: 2 – 5 years
Weeks to grow transplants: 3 – 4  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Tender
Growing temp: 60 (70 – 80) 90\u00b0F
Plants per person: 1
Plants per sq ft: \u00be  

Planting<\/strong>:
Start: On last frost date
Plant out: 3 – 4 wks after last frost
Direct sow: 2 – 4 wks after last frost.  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest: 70 – 100 days
Harvest period: 8 – 12 weeks
Yield per plant: 4 lb (10 – 20 fruit)
Yield per sq ft: 3 lb sq ft  
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

If your growing season is long you can start them outside 2 – 4\nweeks after the last frost date (or whenever the soil reaches 60\u00b0F).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the growing season is short then start the seeds inside on the\nlast frost date (they grow fast) and plant out 3 – 4 weeks later. Don\u2019t start\nthem too early, as you can\u2019t put them out until the soil is warm and if they\nsit inside too long, they may get root bound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be in too much of a hurry, as plants set out at the right\ntime will usually outgrow those planted too early. If necessary you can speed\nup soil warming in spring by using black plastic mulch or cloches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support<\/strong>: The bush cucumbers are quite compact, but the vining types take\nup a considerable amount of space if left to sprawl across the ground.\nFortunately they are good climbers and will be perfectly happy growing\nvertically. Trellised plants may take up only one tenth of the bed space of\nunsupported ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trellising can also increase yields by as much as 100%, because\nfewer fruits are lost to rot, disease or slugs and there is more light for\nphotosynthesis. Fruits are also straighter and cleaner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If building a trellis seems like a good idea, but too much work,\nyou may be able to plant them along a wire fence. You can also use cages of 6\u02dd\nmesh steel reinforcing wire, 3 ft in diameter and 6 ft high. These can work\nwell, though the plants may eventually outgrow them. These cages can even be\ncovered with plastic to protect the young plants from late frost. You can also\nopen these out to create a wire tunnel, which can also be covered in plastic in\ncold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many kinds of supports have been used for cucumbers, including fencing\nwire, nylon netting and bamboo canes. Be creative, but make sure it is strong\nenough to support the weight of a fruiting crop (and wind and rain), you don\u2019t\nwant it to collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to support your cucumbers, you should set it up\nbefore planting. This will minimize disturbance to the young plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No\nsupport<\/strong>: Supporting the vines up in the air\nisn\u2019t always a good idea. <\/strong>In hot, dry areas it is\nbetter to leave the plants close to the ground, where they can create their own\nlittle humid microclimate and so lose water less rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting inside<\/strong>: Early cucumbers are usually started indoors, because the soil\noutside may not be warm enough for good germination (even though the air may be\nwarm enough for their growth). They dislike transplanting, so are usually\nstarted in individual 3 or 4\u02dd containers, 2 seeds to a pot (later thinned to\nthe best one). Don\u2019t use smaller containers, as the seedlings grow so quickly\nyou will soon have to re-pot them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting out<\/strong>: Dig a hole and half fill it with a couple of handfuls of\ncompost, then plant out the seedlings up to their first true leaves. Water\nimmediately after planting. If the weather turns cold after planting you should\ncover them with cloches or row covers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: Once the soil has warmed up it is simpler to sow cucumbers\ndirectly in the soil 2 – 3\u02dd deep. In good conditions they grow very quickly and\nwill often catch up with transplants, even though they were started several\nweeks later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In dry conditions you might want to soak the seed overnight before\nplanting to hasten germination. You can even pre-germinate them (this is fairly\nstraightforward because they are so big). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: When growing in intensive beds, the compact bush varieties work\nbest. Plant them in two alternate rows down the bed. You may want to interplant\na fast growing crop at the same time, to take advantage of the temporarily\nvacant space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use vine cucumbers in a bed too, but you will have to give\nthem support so they can grow vertically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hills<\/strong>:\nVine cucumbers were traditionally planted in hills. You can do this by digging\na large hole 12\u02dd in diameter and 12\u02dd deep (you can line this with gopher wire\nif necessary). Half fill this hole with compost and then return the soil to the\nhole. The result is a slightly raised mound that warms up quickly and provides\ngood drainage. Several seeds (5 to 6) are then sown on top of the mound. When\nthese have several leaves they are thinned to the best 2 or 3 plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disadvantage of raised hills is that they dry out quickly, so\ndon\u2019t work so well in dry climates. In such circumstances you can flatten the\n\u201chill\u201d until it is flat. In extreme cases you might even make it into a slight\ndepression (an anti-hill). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ridges<\/strong>: In the cool climate of Britain outdoor cucumbers are often sown\non raised ridges of soil, as these warm up better. To make a ridge you dig a\ntrench and fill it with compost or aged manure and then replace the soil to\nform a ridge. You then plant your cucumbers in a row along it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: There are quite a lot of options for spacing, depending upon the\ntype of cucumber you grow and how you grow them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intensive bed spacing varies from 18 – 24\u02dd apart, depending upon\nthe soil and the variety. If growing in two parallel rows you might have 24\u02dd\nbetween the plants and rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trellised vine cucumbers can be grown 12\u02dd apart in the row, with\n24 – 36\u02dd between the rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumber hills are planted 36\u02dd apart, with 2 or 3 plants in each\nhill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants in rows should be 24 – 30\u02dd apart, with 48 – 72\u02dd between the\nrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sow<\/strong>: Make another sowing 4 – 6 weeks after the first one (and if your\ngrowing season is long maybe another a month or so after that). You then have\nvigorous young plants to take over as the older ones start to decline in\nproductivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers are pretty vigorous plants and don\u2019t usually require a\nlot of attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: Cucumbers are mainly composed of water and for best growth you\nshould keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet, at all times. This is\nparticularly important when they start producing fruit. Give them a minimum of\n1\u02dd water per week. Ideally this should be lukewarm (70\u00b0F), so it doesn\u2019t shock\nthe plants or cool the soil\nsignificantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to water cucumbers is with a drip system or soaker\nhose. This keeps the leaves dry and so reduces the chance of disease problems.\nIf you must use a sprinkler do it in the morning, or early evening, so the\nleaves have a chance to dry quickly. You don\u2019t want them to stay wet all night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This is beneficial to conserve moisture and\nkeep weeds under control (as an added benefit it also keeps the fruit clean).\nThe soil must be warm before you put this on though, as mulch insulates the\nsoil and prevents it from warming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A living mulch of annual clover can work well with cucumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: When the seedlings have\nrecovered from transplanting, give them a liquid feed of liquid kelp or compost\ntea, to give them a boost. If your soil isn\u2019t very fertile, then continue to\nfeed them every 2 – 3 weeks (or at least after the first flowers\nappear).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning<\/strong>: In some circumstances you might want to pinch out the growing\ntip of the young plant to encourage branching. Some people pinch them back\ntwice, so they produce four growing tips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pollination<\/strong>: Cucumbers are monoecious (they produce male and female flowers\non the same plant) and the first few flowers to appear are usually males. These\ndon\u2019t bear fruit of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female flowers are easily recognized by the tiny \u201ccucumber\u201d at the back\nof the petals. These appear soon after the first males and will to bear fruit\nif pollinated successfully. If the weather is cool this may not happen, in\nwhich case they will simply shrivel and drop off. Apparently cold weather encourages the\nproduction of male flowers, while warm weather encourages female flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your plants aren\u2019t setting fruit you could try hand-pollinating\nsome of the female flowers (seed savers do it all the time). This isn\u2019t usually\nnecessary though, just be patient and they should start to produce eventually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests and diseases<\/strong>: I have generally found cucumbers to be fairly free of pests,\nthough they do have a few serious ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumber<\/strong> b<\/strong>eetles<\/strong>: This is the biggest problem when growing cucumbers (no surprise\nreally, with a name like that). This pest doesn\u2019t just eat the plants (which is\nbad enough), but can also spread bacterial wilt disease. Row covers will work\nuntil the plants get too big, Another approach is to plant blue hubbard squash\nnearby, as these will attract the beetles away from the cucumber (in theory at\nleast). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other\npests<\/strong>: Squash bugs,\naphids, pickle worms, squash vine borers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: Powdery and downy mildew are the commonest diseases of\ncucumbers. Keep the leaves of plants dry and\nmake sure there is good air circulation. Other diseases include alternaria\nblight, angular leaf spot, anthracnose, mosaic virus and bacterial wilt. Some varieties\nare resistant to some of these diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bitterness<\/strong>: Bitterness\nin cucumbers is caused by chemicals known as cucurbitacins and is partly\ngenetic, though high temperature and lack of water can make things worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to avoid bitter cucumbers is to plant a non-bitter\nvariety that is low in cucurbitacins. An added benefit of these is that they\nmay be less attractive to cucumber beetles. You should also make sure the\nplants have plenty of water, especially in hot weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: The fruit will be ready for harvest 15 – 18 days after\npollination (which is roughly 2 months after planting). The first fruits are\nusually quite small, simply because the plants themselves aren\u2019t very big. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the plants start producing, you should check them every 2 – 3\ndays and harvest any fruits that are ready. The plants regulate the number of\nfruits they have growing, so if they are already holding a lot, they won\u2019t\nproduce many new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For maximum yield you should harvest the\nfruits just before they reach full size. You can gather them when smaller than\nthis, but you won\u2019t get as much food. They grow very quickly, doubling in size\nin 24 hours, so don\u2019t leave the fruits too long, or they will start to develop\nhard seeds and the skin will toughen. Definitely don\u2019t allow any fruits to\nmature on the vine, as this can stop the plant producing altogether. Pick the fruits\nregularly, even if you just throw them at a wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want small fruits for pickling, you can harvest ordinary\ncucumbers while they are still small, but the specially bred pickling varieties\nwill be much more productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: It\u2019s better to cut the fruit from the vine, rather than pulling\nit off. The stem is quite tough and it\u2019s easy to break part of the vine\naccidentally. Ideally you should leave a short section of stem on each fruit,\nto prevent moisture loss. Brush any small spines off of the fruit with your\nhands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Cucumbers are at their best when eaten immediately after\npicking. They are very perishable, but will keep for a week or so if stored in\na cool place (40 – 50\u00b0F). Don\u2019t keep them in the fridge. For longer term\nstorage they are often pickled. I don\u2019t advise trying to dry them as they are\n96% water!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Cucumbers are cross-pollinated by bees, so must either be\nisolated by 1000 yards or hand pollinated. Hand pollination is fairly\nstraightforward because the flowers are so large. It is done in the same way as\nfor Squash (see Squash<\/strong>). Take\nseed from 5 of the best and most typical plants to avoid inbreeding depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are saving seed, the fruit must be allowed to mature\nproperly. It will turn yellow and start to wither when fully ripe. Separate the\nseeds from the pulp and ferment them for a couple of days in the same <\/p>\n\n\n\n

way as you would for tomato. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally separate the cleaned seeds from the fermented mush and dry\nthem thoroughly. Ideally they should have a moisture content of around 6% for\nstorage. Be aware that a number of diseases can be seed borne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ornamentals<\/strong>: The vining types are vigorous climbers and can be used to cover\na wire fence or trellis and turn it into a temporary and quite ornamental\nscreen. They are such good climbers they can even be trained over an arbor to\nprovide summer shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers<\/strong>: The bush varieties do quite well in containers, so long as you\nkeep them well watered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of breeding work has gone into the\ncucumber and the result is a lot of variation. The shape of the fruit varies\nconsiderably, from foot long green ones to tennis ball sized white or yellow\nones. Some varieties are resistant to specific diseases. There are also\ngynoecious varieties that produce all female flowers and are self-fertilizing\n(parthenocarpic) for growing in the greenhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush cucumbers are favored in small gardens\nbecause of their compact habit, though they aren\u2019t generally as productive as\nthe vine types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vining cucumbers are often preferred in warm moist climates as\nthey get better air circulation, so are less <\/p>\n\n\n\n

vulnerable to disease. They may suffer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

more from sunburn however (you win some you lose some). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When choosing a cucumber remember that\nbitterness is partly genetic. If you have had a problem with this in the past\nthen be sure to choose a non- bitter type, such as one of these listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickling<\/strong>: These produce large numbers of small, light green fruits, ideal\nfor pickling (what else?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parisian\nPickling<\/strong>: This famous heirloom is not only\noutstanding for pickles, but is also good for fresh eating if it gets bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slicing<\/strong>: These produce the large dark green cucumbers you see in markets.\nThey tend to be productive and disease resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diva\nF1<\/strong>: Sometimes said to be the best flavored cucumber. It produces\nall-female flowers that don\u2019t require a pollinator.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persian\ncucumber<\/strong> – Early and productive, the thin\nskinned fruits are never bitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boothby\u2019s\nBlond<\/strong>e – The light colored fruit are\nnon-bitter. This is sometimes said to be the best cucumber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet\nSlice, Carmen, Country Fair<\/strong> are all non-bitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telegraph\nImproved<\/strong> – Old\nEnglish heirloom, long, sweet fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yamato<\/strong> – Produces an abundance of long fruit (to 20\u02dd). Can also be\npickled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese\nclimbing<\/strong> – The\nlong, non-bitter fruits are produced abundantly. Often said to be one of the\nbest cucumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satsuki Madori<\/strong> <\/strong>– Vigorous, productive and produces delicious non-bitter fruit.\nSometimes said to be the best cucumber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crystal\nApple –<\/strong> This\nAustralian heirloom is round, sweet and white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemon\nCucumber –<\/strong> Very\nsimilar to the above, but light yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers are almost always eaten raw of\ncourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickles <\/strong>  

3 lb cucumbers (3 – 4\u02dd)
8 cups water
\u00bc cup cider vinegar
\u2153 cup salt
8 garlic cloves (peeled)
2 small fresh hot peppers
2 tbsp whole mustard seeds
2 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 seed heads dill  

Thoroughly mix the vinegar, spices, garlic cloves, dill heads and salt (it
should all dissolve) with the water and pour over the cucumbers into a
large ceramic bowl. Put a plate over the bowl to push the cucumbers
under the surface. Cover with a cloth and leave for 48 hours. Finally put
the pickles into jars with a clove of garlic and cover with brine (remove
the dill). They will keep in the fridge for about 3 months.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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