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 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches 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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02 Feb 10, noel (Australia - temperate climate)
how do you stop cucumbers going soft after you pick them
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30 Jan 10, Ben R (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My cucumbers have been weird this year. They are similar to John D's - they have grown in the shape of a butternut pumpkin from early on and they are now about 30 cm and yellow/brown. They have good sunlight, were watered regularly, in mushroom compost. They did not at any stage go dark green, just from light green to yellow. They probably weigh about 2 kilo's each. I have not cut one open yet - i think the whole crop may be headed to the chickens... any ideas to avoid the same next year would be appreciated.
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26 Jan 10, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Karen, some cucumber varieties turn bitter immediately they get short of water. I would cut off any currently growing, and keep up the water while new ones come on. Try picking them smaller, too. You could try the Armenien variety (Yates have seed) as it doesn't seem to turn bitter so fast when stressed.
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19 Jan 10, Karen (Australia - temperate climate)
I have tried growing cucumber, there were a lot of cucumbers on the vine. A few at the start were nice but but then the rest had a really horrible sour taste so they couldn't be eaten. Any ideas?
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04 Jan 10, Matthew (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Barb, thanks for the advice. I am getting both female and male however I just seem to lose the cucumber before it is pollinated. I think there are a few about to go now.
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05 Mar 23, Lolly (Australia - arid climate)
I had that as no bees so I now hand pollinate and they always grow. Pick when 3 to 4 inch long with Lebanese.
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02 Jan 10, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Matthew, Keep you cucumber plants well watered and well fed - hopefully they'll start fruiting again. Cuc's don't like drying out. They respond well to a complete organic liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion and/or good compost. They're very susceptible to powdery mildew so spraying with milk and/or chamomile tea helps. Are you getting female flowers or just male flowers?
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01 Jan 10, mand01 (Australia - temperate climate)
fezz you need to rotate your crop - planting the same plant in the same place each season increases the likelihood of a soil borne disease, or exhausting the soil of the nutrients preferred by that particular plant. Try growing something from a different family (not a curcubit) in that spot next season, and grow your cukes elsewhere.
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01 Jan 10, Matthew (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My lebanese cucumber plant is growing beautifully and flowering well. However I seem to have only got two great cucumbers from it. The other cucumber leaves go yellow and die off. Is there anything I can do?
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22 Apr 12, (Australia - arid climate)
need fertilizer the soil is not good
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If you have TRUE high humidity: humidex above 95% consistently -- then you have a real issue. If you have a "created" high humidity situation: like a poorly ventilated greenhouse; then correcting the ventilation will fix things. You can create an updraft by placing a screened window/door very close to ground level (or the lowest level that opens to fresh air) and then furthest and highest away from this point another screened window (on the ceiling/roof, or very high on the wall). So if you have a door on the North/East Bottom. the window goes on the South/West Top. When both of the windows are open, you should get a nice updraft that will whisk away all your humidity. It is best to situate the ground level door/window in a shady spot -- because this will be cooler air, and as this comes in it will force the hot/humid air up and out. There are also green house fans that can be installed (but if you do your updraft correctly you will probably not need one) ; and if you are fully indoors even a dehumidifier might work. If you are in a garden setting like the situation above; I think perhaps the cucumber created a roof that was helping hold in the moisture. In this case prune the cucumber to increase airflow. Things like fences can hold moisture; for example if you have a garden between two houses and there is a wood picket fence; this could impede the flow of air, and cause humidity to build up. The answer will ALMOST always be to increase air flow. If this is a true climate issue then you should select what you are growing with care, choosing plants that can tolerate high humidity; and still trying to situate your plants/garden in such a way that air flows freely. I have an allotment, that has "dense" fencing on two sides (I am in the back corner) and I can feel that I have an extra humid situation. I have found that runner beans do well; once they climb higher than fence level, they get a lot of air flow and do nicely. As far a hydroponics; I am not well versed enough to even begin guessing at the issues that may exist in these environments. Just remember that even when the humidex is NOT high, plants still need the airflow to move what they have transpired away from their leaves.

- Celeste Archer

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