Here are some tips for growing cucumbers by the ThriftyFun community.
By Mariann
By Jo
By pthere from Hamilton, New Zealand
By Carla
By Chaingang
I grow my cucumbers in a wire cage. It is made out of fencing wire and about three feet around. Cucumbers usually just grow on the ground and take over whatever they want. This way, they are confined a little. I just keep putting the runners back inside the cage when they grow out. The trellis idea is interesting.
I just used regular tomato cages and ran the vines through the spokes. So far, so good! I think you don't want them on the ground if you can help it. They could get moldy.
By Alex
By Sarah in IL
By Ema from Brooklyn, NY
By pthere from Hamilton, New Zealand
I would like to plant cucumbers in a container. What kind of container should I use? Should it be big and tall like a 5 gallon bucket or short and small like a dish pan. I am growing the small cukes. Thank you.
Hardiness Zone: 9a
By Carole
By Contester
06/09/2010
In general the more soil you are able to give a veggie plant, the healthier it will be. It is easier to keep large pots from drying out and there are more nutrients available. Remember, if the volume of 2 containers is the same, the one with more surface area will dry out quicker.
If you use the 5-gallon bucket, you can poke one of those wire tomato supports into the soil and train the cucumber up it.
What type of soil should I use for planting cucumbers?
By Julia C.
By Catherine Michele
02/12/2013
Hello!
Cucumbers want long warm days and water in a well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter and nutrient elements. You should prepare well in advance their future place in your garden by mixing well-rotted manure or rich compost with the existing soil.
Unless it is already summer time in your region (Cucumbers need an average temperature of 70°) you should start the cucumbers in pots indoors. Put only one seed per pot and use peat pots to set them outside without having to remove the pots as the roots break easily.
Hope this helps!
Catherine
How do you grow cucumbers?
By John D from Carlisle
By Laniegirl
07/20/2011
In the spring, I mound up the soil in "hills" and plant 5 or 6 seeds to a mound. Give them lots of room to grow because they really like to spread out, just like squash does. I bought some seedlings this year and they are not supposed to spread like some of the others but I don't like the cukes as well because they are short and not the slicing variety. I won't plant them again.
I have three cucumber plants with large yellow flowers on them. How long do they take to produce cucumbers? My grandson came home from school with four of them, but one died. I do not know if they should lie down, or put canes in to stand them up.
By Bill from Blyth, Northumberland
By mom-from-missouri
10/04/2011
Cucumbers are a vine that will crawl around on the ground. You can prop them, but often the weight of the cucumber will pull the plant down or the veg will drop off. It will take a couple weeks for the cucumber to form after the plant flowers.
Can cucumber vines lie on the ground and produce or do they need to be staked?
By Gene from Bahama, NC
By jm_bullard@hotmail.com
05/29/2012
Cucumbers do not have to be staked but it is best to do so to protect against crawling bugs. I have also planted them in cinder blocks placed against a chain link fence and it worked beautifully. The vines attach themselves to the fencing and all you have to do is water and watch them grow. I also found that planting Spanish thyme next to the cucumbers acts as a deterrent to bugs as they do not like the scent of the thyme
Can cucumbers be part of "sister gardening" under corn, like squash?
Hardiness Zone: 8b
By kepp from Kerrville, TX
By Tapestry Lady
04/06/2010
Yes, cucumbers are often listed as good companion plants for corn. They also do well with beans, one of the other 'sisters'.
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Growing Cucumbers