We eat lots of cucumbers and have had some good success growing them. Last year we grew and harvested many Lemon Apple Cucumbers, also known as Crystal Lemon Cucumbers. If you are looking into how to grow cucumbers, you should know there are a lot of great varieties out there to choose from and you can easily grow them in a small space if you know how to grow cucumbers vertically. So sit back and enjoy this feature on how to grow cucumbers.
How To Grow Cucumbers
You’ll need to think about where you are growing your cucumbers before you start. Will you be sowing your seed directly outdoors? Or perhaps you have a heated greenhouse? Or will you simply be buying a young cucumber plant from the garden centre in spring and you’ll just need a space to plant and grow this?
How To Grow Indoor Cucumbers
There are several different varieties of cucumbers and some are better suited to being grown indoors. If you are growing cucumbers indoors that produce male and female flowers on the plant, you’ll need to identify the male flowers and remove them, as leaving them might result in bitter cucumbers. You can tell the difference as the female flowers will have a small fruit behind them.
How To Grow Cucumbers Outdoors
It’s important not to remove the male flowers from any cucumber that is grown outside, as the flowers are pollinated by insects and so both male and female flowers will be required.
How To Grow Cucumbers From Seeds
The first thing to think about when considering how to plant cucumber seeds is whether you plan to sow the seeds inside or outside.
If you are planning on sowing your seeds and keeping them in a heated greenhouse, you can do this from about mid-February onwards.
Cucumber seeds are funny beasts and as such need to be sown on their sides. Choose a small pot or seed tray which can accommodate the cucumber seeds at about ½ an inch from the surface. They’ll need to be kept at around 20 degrees until they germinate, which is likely to take between a week and 10 days. After this, the plants will need to be kept at a minimum of around 15 degrees. You can always use a propagator with a cover to help germination.
If you are planning on growing the seedlings on in an unheated greenhouse, it will be best to germinate them in a sunny spot in the house, for example, a windowsill and then move them into the greenhouse. It’ll also be better to sow your seeds a little later, so they can be kept warmer in your greenhouse. Sowing in early April for growing on in an unheated greenhouse is ideal.
If you are looking at how to grow cucumber from seed to plant directly outdoors, then it might be best to wait until late April, so you can move the seedlings outside in May. If it’s still chilly outside you can carry on growing your cucumber plants under horticultural fleece or cloches.
How To Plant Cucumbers
If you’ve bought a young cucumber plant from the garden centre, the same principles will apply. You won’t want to plant them outside any earlier than May, possibly even later in more northern areas. If it is still regularly dropping to less than 15 degrees, use a cloche or fleece to protect the young plants.
You’ll need to harden off any plants before planting them outside. This is where you leave them outside during the day for a week to 10 days, moving them back inside the greenhouse overnight. This will allow them to gently acclimatise without shocking them.
When you are looking at how to plant cucumbers, you’ll want to choose a good outdoor site for the plants. A warm and sheltered spot would be ideal. You should clear the ground and add some compost and fertiliser. You can then re-pot your cucumber plant in this area.
Caring For Your Cucumber Plant
You’ll want to avoid the cucumber growing too tall, by pinching out the tip after the plant has developed seven leaves. The plant will produce side shoots which you can either trail or train. You’ll also want to pinch out the tips of the side shoots after around seven leaves as well.
Watering and Feeding Your Cucumber Plants
It’s important to water the soil of the cucumber plants and not the leaves. If you are leaving the plants damp, they can be susceptible to powdery mildew which can stunt the growth of the plant.
You should feed your cucumber plants weekly with a high potash fertiliser, such as liquid tomato food.
How To Grow Cucumbers Vertically
If you are short on space or just want to try your hand at growing your cucumbers in a different want, then growing cucumbers vertically could be an ideal solution. You’ll need to leave the cucumbers to grow taller, so don’t pinch out the tips of the plant until they have reached the height you desire. You can use a trellis, canes, arches or even an obelisk to support the growing cucumber plant. You may need to tie the plant into the support as it grows. I always use a cushioned plant tie as it’s gentler on the stems.
There are lots of benefits to growing cucumbers vertically including it helps with air circulation to stop rot and diseases. It’s also good for smaller spaces, where going up is preferred to maximise ground space. You’ll also be thankful when harvesting as you aren’t scrabbling around at ground level, you can harvest from a much more comfortable height. So there you go. Here’s how to grow cucumbers vertically. I’ve had great success with this in our garden.
How To Harvest Cucumbers
Regular harvesting of cucumbers will allow more flowers to grow and develop into more cucumbers. We harvested our cucumbers from our single cucumber plant often and we were treated to cucumber right across the summer and into autumn.
Harvesting cucumbers is easy to do and most varieties will simply need a clean snip at the stem to release them from the plant. Depending on the variety you grow, your cucumbers will be ready for picking from around July onwards.
So here is all you need to know about how to grow cucumbers. Right from how to plant cucumbers to how to grow cucumbers vertically. Have I missed any tips you’d like to share? What varieties will you be growing this year?
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