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How to Grow Cucumbers
Index
- Sowing Instructions
- How to Transplant
- Crop Maintenance
- How to Harvest
- Storage
- Pests & Diseases
Sowing Instructions
Sowing Time: Sow the seeds mid March through to mid May but seeds must be kept warm – wait for warm weather
- Sowing Location: Indoors, in greenhouse or a heated propagator set to 21°C
- Sow seeds in 9cm pots
- Sow one seed per pot using potting compost
- Soak compost before sowing & cover
- Cucumber seeds germinate after 1 or 2 weeks
How to Transplant
- Check your variety before transplanting
- Outdoor or ridge varieties can be both male & female, they will pollinate each other
- Most new hybrids are all female & don’t require pollination
Indoor varieties
- Grow in green house or poly tunnel
- Plant in large pots or 3 per grow bag
- Provide light shade
Outdoor varieties
- Transplant in midsummer – ridge varieties can be planted outdoors
- Soil
- Fertile soil with good drainage
- Warm soil is very important
- Prepare soil the previous season before planting out
- Add plenty of well rotted farm yard manure
- Harden off outdoor varieties before planting out
- Only plant out after the chance of frost has gone
Crop Maintenance
- Cucumbers are climbers so support them using garden twine tied loosely around the base of plants
- Water when getting dry
- Don’t over water and don’t let them dry out
- Increase humidity by watering the floor around them
- Once flowering begins, feed with a potassium based feed
Harvesting
- Cut fruits as soon as they are ready
- The size will depend on the variety you are growing
- Cut regularly to encourage further production
Storage
- Cucumbers keep well
- Can't freeze but will last a while once cut without turning bad
Pests & Diseases
- Pests: Slugs will damage leaves and fruits
- Position slug traps or copper slug tape near the crop to prevent attack from slugs
- Diseases: Generally trouble free if the summer is good
- Other issues can include powdery mildew and leaf spot
- Note: The Cucumber variety Louisa is resistant to powdery mildew and leaf spot
