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Planting and Growing Cucumbers Fact Sheet

Planting and growing cucumbers is believed to have originated in India and spread through Greece and Italy. They made their way into North America agriculture by the mid-16 century. Cool and moist due to their high water content. “Cukes” belong to the same family as pumpkins, zucchini, watermelon and other squashes.

Cucumbers, grown either for pickling or slicing, have become one of the most popular planted crops in today’s home garden. Although cucumbers require substantial growing space, they can be grown in small gardens by training vines onto trellises, or they can be grown in containers. The cucumber ranges in size from the small gherkin type to the long, thin slicing variety. There are also yellow and fruited varieties.

Cucumber varieties:

There are several varieties of cucumber; the most popular are English, Persian, and Pickling cucumbers.

Persian cucumbers are also known as regular cucumbers with soft, edible seeds. The skin is often waxed to seal in moisture.

English cucumbers are sometimes known as gourmet cucumbers, “burpless”, or seedless cucumbers. This variety has seeds that are very small but do not need to be removed. Longer and thinner than regular cucumbers this variety is usually shrink-wrapped to seal in moisture because they are not waxed.

Slicing cucumber varieties include:
Sweet Slice Burpless
Straight 8
Poinsett
Dasher II
Salad Bush Hybrid
Marketmore 80
Marketmore 76

Pickling cucumber varieties include:
Boston Pickling
Miss Pickler Hybrid
County Fair Hybrid
Bush Pickle Hybrid
Eureka Hybrid

Selecting cucumbers:
It’s important to look for firm cucumbers with rich green color and no soft spots. Cucumbers that bulge in the middle, usually most likely means its filled with large watery seeds and tasteless flesh.

Cucumbers are a subtropical crop, requiring long warm days, plenty of sunshine and balmy nights. Many new varieties have shorter growing seasons, making them ideal for the shorter summers in the Northeast.

Vines bear two kinds of flowers, pistillate (female) and staminate (male). The first flowers, which are staminate, drop from the vine and do not bear fruit. Subsequent flowers include both male and female, and pollination can occur. Recently, gynoecious plants (those bearing female flowers only) have been introduced. The seed packet will have specifically marked seeds indicating that the marked seeds must be planted as well for proper pollination.

Climate requirements for cucumbers:
Cucumbers thrive at relatively high temperatures; 65-75 degrees F is the ideal temperature range. The plants do not tolerate frost. As a fast-growing crop, cucumbers require a substantial amount of moisture and plant nutrient elements throughout the growing season.

Preferred soil for cucumbers:
Cucumbers can be grown successfully in many types of soils, but they will be most successful in loose, well-drained soil,well supplied with organic matter and plant nutrient elements. Work in organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost before planting. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.

Fertilizing cucumbers:
Lime and fertilizers are best applied using soil test results as a guide. Prior to planting, you should add a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or similar analysis according to label recommendations. One week after blossoming begins, and again three weeks later, use a high nitrogen fertilizer to side-dress the hills. Do not over-fertilize, as this encourages vine growth and retards fruiting.

Planting cucumbers:
You can gain growing time by starting the plants indoors 10 to 14 days before anticipated planting time. Use peat pots or pellets and avoid disturbing roots when transplanting. Planting outside should be delayed until the danger of frost has passed. Cucumber seeds can be planted in hills consisting of four or five seeds per hill spaced at 4 to 5 feet apart. They can also be planted in rows 2 to 3 feet apart with rows 5 to 6 feet apart. Certain varieties make excellent container plants.

Growing cucumbers:
Mulches can conserve soil moisture, prevent soil compaction and rotting of the fruit and help suppress weeds. Black plastic mulch can be a valuable aid in keeping the soil moist and minimizing weed problems. Organic mulches such as peat moss, cocoa shells or buckwheat hulls also work well, also providing the added bonus of improving the soil.

Weeds, insects and diseases must be controlled in the planting. Cucumber beetles, aphids, mites, pickle worms, bacterial wilt, anthracnose, powdery and downy mildew, and angular leaf spot are potential problems in the cucumber planting. The early and continuous control of the cucumber beetle is critical to success in growing cucumbers. The cucumber beetle can infect the plant with bacterial wilt as early as the cotyledon stage, when seedlings are just emerging from the ground. Bacterial wilt causes plants to wilt and die. See GreenShare Facsheets on cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt for more information and control recommendations. Avoid using insecticides in the garden when pollinating insects are working the flowers.

Harvesting cucumbers:
Cucumbers are ready for harvest 50 to 70 days from planting. Harvest according to size depending on intended use. Cucumbers become bitter if they are allowed to grow until they begin to turn yellowish. Harvest by cutting the stem 1/4-inch above the fruit.

Frequent picking of cucumbers is essential as they grow and reach optimum quality. Delayed harvest results in reduced quality products and less productive plants–fruiting is an exhaustive process for the plant.

Cucumber Nutrition Facts:

Serving size 1/2 cup, sliced with skin (52g)Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 10
Calories from Fat 0 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sources: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

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Tags: Cucumber, English Cucumbers, Growing Cucumbers, Squashes, Vegetable