Cucumbers

cucumbers

Last year was the first time I ever grew cucumbers. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that they were a difficult crop to grow and not worth the effort. True, if you live in England where they need a barmy summer or protection from a greenhouse. It was only a chance conversation with a neighbour who told me how easily they had grown them that I decided to give them a go. I bought a few plants and within weeks we had more cucumbers than we knew what to do with and that continued right through the summer.

Sowing or planting

When I recommend  whether to sow seeds or buy plants I am looking at it from the perspective of someone who is a novice. Cucumbers are not a staple part of our diet but are more versatile than many people think. If you just want them for salads then two or three should be enough but if you want to experiment with them then you might want a few more. Either way you won’t need loads of plants, and for the novice it is easier to buy the plants ready for planting out. If you are successful with them this year and want to grow more next year from seed they are quite easy. They are a member of the curcubit family that includes courgettes, sow the seed edge on in three inch pots about an inch deep. Keep moist but not overwatered as they are prone to rot. If it’s early in the year and the weather is cold, sow them in a cold frame/greenhouse or sunny windowsill. It’s worth sowing one or two early on but they wont necessarily give you an early crop unless the weather is particularly warm.

Varieties

If you choose to buy plants from the garden centre you will be buying the small knobbly varieties as opposed to the long smooth type that are more common in supermarkets. I was a little wary at first as I had never bought or eaten this variety before. I needn’t have worried they taste better than the shop varieties and there is no wastage as they are just the right size for a family salad. 

Soil

When I bought my first plants I bought a few too many and ended up with an excess, not wanting to throw them away I planted them into a patch of unused soil without any compost or fertilizer added. It was a little experiment that I carry out every now and again to see what will grow in my rather poor soil. To my surprise they did quite well, not as well as those that I planted in the raised beds but nevertheless they gave me a pretty good crop. I would still recommend incorporating compost and digging the soil if you want good crops but it is not quite as important as with some other crops.

Watering

Cucumbers are pretty thirsty plants and keeping them moist is more important than the soil type. Mulching is essential to conserve as much water as possible and it will protect the fruits from touching the ground. If your growing in pots you will probably need to water twice a day during summer.

Aftercare

You can grow cucumbers two ways, you can either grow them up some type of support (it will need to be sturdy) or you can let them trail along the ground. If it’s the latter you will need to put straw or something similar under the fruits to stop them touching the soil. Mice might also be a problem if you leave the fruits on the ground. Cucumbers will benefit from a good feed with an organic fertilizer once the fruits have started to form. Some experts will tell you that you need to pinch out growing tips etc but it isn’t really that necessary if you don’t have the time. Harvest the fruits when they are about five or six inches long. If you have any small shriveled fruits that have withered don’t worry too much. The most probable cause is incorrect watering, possibly waterlogged soil where the plant has been grown in heavy soil.