Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      S S              
        T T T          
        P P            

(Best months for growing Cucumber in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes

Your comments and tips

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09 Jan 24, Gerrie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Switch to fertilisers labelled "flowers and fruit", fertilisers with a lower nitrogen content. Animal manures have a high Nitrogen content that is good for basic plant growth. For example, Dynamic Lifter which is pelletised cow manure has an NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) ratio of 3.5 - 1 - 1.6 which is good for initial growth, but switch to another fertiliser when the plants are growing strongly.
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12 Jan 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you compare a general fertiliser with some of these specialty fertilisers there is very little difference between them. I use Nitrophoska which is 15 - 6 - 12. It is used by commercial vegetable growers. Manures do not have high N content compared to commercial fertilisers. You just do not put raw manures on heavily, especially chook. You judge how much fert you put on by how high the npk is. A handful of fertiliser per sq meter is sufficient to grow a lot of crops. Applied a week or two before planting seed/seedlings and turned in.
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02 Jan 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A good fertilising at planting is all they need. A light fertilise maybe when they start flowering. Can't help with the reduced crop. I picked over 120 cues off 5 plants November.
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11 Nov 23, Anne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Morning I can’t post a pic by looks of it but I’m a learner gardener and have cucumber growing but the leaves look Like they have some sort of fungus on them so not sure on how to fix it
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25 Nov 23, (Australia - temperate climate)
Google fungus on cucumbers. It comes up with powdery mildew - see if the photos look the same as your cucumbers.
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18 Aug 23, Sakkie pieterse (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
How many fruit can you take from one cumcumer plant
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18 Jul 24, Robert (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I grew Ashley cucumbers, and got between 15 to 18 fruit per plant.
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11 Aug 23, Ingrid (Australia - temperate climate)
Some websites suggest planting cucumber seeds directly into garden bed, other sites say start in trays. Which is correct ? Thank you.
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20 Aug 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can do it both ways.
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22 Mar 23, Tankiso (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Why is it bad to plant cucumber near tomatoes or potatoes?
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Showing 11 - 20 of 498 comments
See comments for all plants

Mix in well composted manure with some good friable soil - about 1 part manure to 3 parts soil. Too much manure and the soil will have too much nitrogen. The female flowers have little cucumbers behind the flower. You need bees to pollinate the flowers. Check between 7 and 11am to see if bees are active. You can hand pollinate, read how to do it.

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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