Squash Vegetables - Cucumber
Introduction
With a little care cucumber is not a difficult crop to grow and grow well. It can be grown in the greenhouse or outdoors.
There are two types of cucumber;
- Frame, or greenhouse, cucmber - large 38cm (15in) and smooth-skinned. Grown as climbers so the fruits can hang down.
- Ridge cucumbers - these include gherkins for pickling and are shorter than the greenhouse type. About 13cm (5in) long with knobbly or spiny skins.
Soil
Cucumbers need plenty of sun, moisture and good soil (pH of about 6.0 to 6.5), with a dressing of general purpose fertilizer. Containers need to be filled with rich, fresh potting compost. Beds need plenty of well rotted organic matter.
When to Sow, Plant & Harvest
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| Harvest |
Sowing
Select only plump seeds and throw away those which are flat, discoloured or very small. Sow the seeds singly in clean 6-7.5cm pots (2½-3in) which have been filled with seed compost to within 1.5cm (½in) of the top of the pot.
Place the seeds edge on sideways about 1.5cm (½in) deep and then lightly firm the surface.
Germination
Water the compost and then cover the pots with black plastic or glass and brown paper. Make sure that the compost is thoroughly damp: seed casings are tough and unless the water penetrates the casing, they will not germinate.
After germination, remove the covering and place the plants in a light position in the greenhouse. The young plants will grow rapidly and will need staking with a small split cane.
Training
Cordon training of cucumbers is similar to that of tomatoes.
- Fix three horizontal wires, the top one 2.1m (7ft) high, the centre wire 1m (3ft 3in) high and the bottom wire just above the surface of the containers.
- All three wires should be about 30cm (1ft) from the outside glass of the greenhouse.
- Fix a vertical string for each plant tying it to the top, centre and base wires.
- Tie-in the leading shoot to this string at regular intervals.
- Remove all side shoots up to a height of 38cm (15in) above the base of each plant. If fruits form in the first or second leaf joints of the laterals, pinch out at two leaves beyond the fruit. If there are no fruits, stop the laterals at the second joint.
- Continue tying the plant to the vertical string, stopping side shoots and removing all tendrils and male flowers until the top wire is reached.
- When the plant reaches the top wire, pinch out the growing point.
Caring for the Crop
Cucumbers require plenty of moisture and warmth (unfortunately a good breeding ground for pests and diseases). Greenhouses should be kept humid by damping down. Water regularly.
Feeding: use a high nitrogen feed (not tomato feed which is high potash and will give the fruit a bitter taste as well as slowing their growth). Once the plants are growing well (about 4 weeks after planting) start to feed once a week. Once fruits start to appear increase this to twice weekly. Try using a teaspoon of dried blood sprinkled around the base of the plant not too close to the stem.
Top dress with a 2.5cm (1in) layer of potting compost once a month. Cucumber roots are shallow and vulnerable to rotting but top-dressing encourages new root growth.
If the plant produces male flowers these must be removed as fertilization will result in bitter fruits.
Harvesting
Greenhouse cucumbers will start to crop in late spring or early summer and fruits should be cut when about 30-37cm (1-1ft 3in) long. Cropping should continue until autumn.
Ridge cucumbers sown under cloches will begin to crop in late summer, or early autumn if they have been sown in the open ground. Outdoor cropping will continue until the first frost when the plant will be killed.
Harvest cucumbers when they are young; old fruits go to seed and if left on the plant cause further fruit production to cease.
Recommended Varieties
Burpless Tasty Green F1, Fembaby, Uniflora D, Athene, Sweet Success, Futura F1, Telegraph Improved
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