How to Grow Cucumber

Technically a fruit, cucumber is generally treated more like a vegetable. They have been around for a very long time – ancient Romans loved them and even created moveable greenhouses to keep growing them.

Did you know that cucumbers can help soothe sunburn and other irritated skin? They have natural enzymes that have a calming effect so if you are out of aloe vera, reach for a cucumber to ease your pain.

Made up of around 96% water, cucumbers are a healthy, nutritious snack that are easy to grow for beginners. Studies suggest that eating cucumber can help to lower blood sugar, prevent constipation, support weight loss, and promote hydration.

When to grow cucumbers

Like zucchini, cucumbers like a warmer climate so unless you are in a tropical area, you will want to avoid planning in late autumn or winter. Instead, it’s a great idea to plant after the last frost to ensure a nice long growing season.

Cucumber varieties

Cucumbers come in some weird and wonderful varieties that you might like to explore:

· Lebanese – a classic option with green skin and a light, sweet flavour – these stay relatively small and are great for pickling or to add fresh to salads

· Burpless – also known as Beit Alpha, telegraph or continental, this variety is thin skinned with a mild flavour and are known for their long thin shape

· Crystal Apple – heirloom variety shaped a little like an apple and is great in salads

· Spacemaster – perfect if you are limited on space as it has shorter vines (less than 1m) and smaller fruit

· African Horned – a very unique looking variety with orange/yellow skin covered in bumps or horns with a flavour similar to a mix of banana, lime, and cucumber

How to grow cucumber from seed

Zucchini needs warm soil temperatures to germinate – you will be looking for 18-35°C or 65–95°F so if it’s still a little cool at your place, you might like to start the seeds in a greenhouse if you have one. Otherwise, if you already have those sorts of soil temperatures then you can direct sow if you prefer.

When planting, you want to ensure you’ve got good quality soil and to plant the seed vertically with the pointier side aimed at the ground.

Unless you are growing a smaller variety, you may want to think properly about where you plant your cucumbers as many varieties will branch out and grow across the ground unless you have a trellis for them to climb.

Provided you keep the soil moist but not wet, the seedling should emerge in around 4-10 days depending on the variety.

How to grow cucumbers from seedlings

If you’ve opted to either buy seedlings or grow your seeds out in trays first, it’s important that you get them into your garden bed once the seedling is established but before they become root bound in the seedling tray as this can stunt the growth of your plant.

Spacing for planting your seedlings out can be important to prevent diseases such as powdery mildew so be sure to allow your plants plenty of space to expand.

Once you’ve planted out your seedlings, lightly water the seedling in with a seaweed solution such as the Plant Doctor’s Seaweed Secrets (use SSME10 for 10% off your order) to minimise transplant shock.

Cucumber plants love plenty of direct sunlight but don’t let them dry out too much. As the fruit are 96% water, they need plenty of water to be able to produce delicious juicy fruits.

As a member of the curcubit family, cucumbers produce both male and female flowers which need to be pollinated for the fruit to grow. The male flower has a long stamen in the middle of the flower that is covered in a powdery yellow pollen and has a long thin stem that it grows on. The female flower has a cluster in the centre of the flower known as the pistil which has a sticky residue designed to capture and hold pollen and behind the flower, you’ll find a thick stem and miniature cucumber which is what turns into the fruit when pollinated.

For this reason, it’s a great idea to plant flowers nearby that attract pollinators who will do the job for you. If you want to be sure that your female cucumber flowers have been pollinated, you can do so by hand – simply cut off the male flower and rub the stamen around the pistil on the female flower.

How long does it take cucumber to grow?

Most varieties of cucumber grow relatively quickly. 60-70 days is when the plant reaches maturity but you may find your plants start to produce sooner than that. Picking cucumbers as they are ready will encourage more to grow.

When to harvest cucumber

Cucumbers will continue to grow if left on the vine and can become quite big however if you leave them too long, they may become bitter with tough skins which aren’t enjoyable to eat. On the contrary, if you pick them too early, the fruit won’t have developed its full flavour and juiciness. Try picking them at different stages to see what you like best.

Cucumber pests and diseases and how to control them organically

Bacterial Wilt

A soil borne disease that thrives in tropical regions, bacterial wilt is easily transmitted and is recognised by the telltale sign of individual leaves wilting during the day. It will start off with one or two leaves then spread to an entire stem and eventually the whole plant. You may even notice your stems oozing threads of slime.

There are no known cures for bacterial wilt so if you get an infection, ensure you dispose of all the infected plant material by burning rather than composting to prevent spreading it to other garden beds and only plant crops in that bed that won’t be affected by wilt.

Powdery Mildew

If you find a powder-like substance on the leaves of your cucumber plant, it is likely to be powdery mildew which is caused by a bacteria that loves hot, humid weather. The great news is that there are a few natural remedies that work well to stop the spread of it. Firstly, you want to water your plants at the base of the stem and avoid getting the leaves wet. Then you can try spraying the affected areas with a water and milk solution (1 part milk: 2-3 parts water), or mix 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a gallon or 4 litres of water and spray the affected leaves. There are other options including hydrogen peroxide, potassium bicarbonate, or copper too. Alternatively, you can use neem oil or another organic fungicide to treat it.

Cucumber Beetles

Coming in both striped and spotted varieties, these little pests don’t only eat cucumbers but can actually be an issue with all curcubit plants. The adults lay their eggs in the soil and the larvae eat the roots of the plant causing the leaves of the plant to wilt and die. They can also transmit diseases such as bacterial wilt disease or squash mosaic virus. The beetles can live in the soil over winter and emerge when the weather warms up which is why rotating your crops is a good idea – if they can’t find the food they are looking for, they might just fly away somewhere else! Planting in seed trays and then transplanting to a garden bed after the mating cycle of the beetles has finished may also help. The beetles don’t like tansy or nasturtium so mulching some of the leaves around the base of your plants may help to deter them from laying their eggs in the soil. Wolf spiders feed on the beetles so if you happen to see any in your garden, you might like to give them a home in your curcubit beds. A thick layer of mulch may help prevent the larvae from emerging too.

Squash Mosaic Virus

Squash mosaic virus is a hard one to spot as a plant can seem more or less healthy but if you see mottling of maturing fruits, leaves that cup upwards or develop irregular patterns, blisters or unusual swellings on the fruit then you may have a problem with squash mosaic virus. The virus is more commonly in the seed which is why many curcubit seeds you see for sale have been treated to prevent it. Cucumber beetles are also known to spread the virus. If you find this

disease on your plants, don’t muck around trying to solve the problem – the only real solution is to remove the plants and burn them to avoid it spreading elsewhere.

Aphids

Aphids can be a gardener’s nightmare for a huge range of plants. These small insects can be found on the stems and undersides of leaves of your plant and can be a range of different colours depending on what they are eating. Left untreated, aphids can swell to proportions that risk your plant developing diseases and becoming unhealthy. The most natural way to avoid aphids is to attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs that eat the aphids. Other natural remedies include organic neem oil, diatomaceous earth sprinkled on top of the aphids to dehydrate and kill them, strong spray of water to dislodge the aphids, or a spray of soapy water which suffocates the aphids (be sure to hose off any soap later).

Whiteflies

Contrary to the name, whiteflies are not flies at all but rather an insect related to aphids that suck the sap from your plant. If left untreated, they can kill your plant and spread to other plants. They can be particularly hard to spot until they are fully grown as they are very small and often hide under leaves. If you have sooty mould forming on your leaves, it may be a symptom of a whitefly infestation. The good news is that parasitic wasps love whiteflies so attracting them to your garden with other flowering plants can help. Like aphids, a soapy water spray can help to suffocate the whiteflies. Sticky fly traps have also been known to keep the population down. Basil and marigolds are great companion plants too as they deter whiteflies.

Mark’s top tips for growing cucumbers

Grow your cucumbers on a trellis to avoid losing any to rot from growing on the ground. Check out his video about a space saving trellis option to maximise the use of your garden beds.

Do you have any tips or questions about growing cucumbers? Mark and the Self Sufficient Me team love hearing about your growing success so why not join our forum to let us know how you went growing cucumbers?

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