Cucumber Plants & Culture

Cucumber Varieties

• Slicing cucumbers are the long, green, smooth varieties found in the grocery store. They include Marketmore 76, Ashley, Straight 8, Salad Bush, Masterpiece, Crystal Apple and Long Green Ridge. Pickling cucumbers are shorter, bumpier varieties like Chipper, Explorer, Bush Pickle, Venlo Pickling and Bestal. Greenhouse cucumbers are female varieties that produce only flowers that fruit. Varieties include Birgit, Fenumex, Pepinex, Petita and Telegraph.

Planting Site

• Cucumber seeds are planted directly into the ground once the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. If planting cucumbers in a region with short, cool summers, start seeds indoors and transplant to the garden. Use peat pots to grow the cucumber seeds so that the entire pot can be planted; cucumber roots don't tolerate root disruption very well. Cucumber plants grow as vines and need ample space or trellising, although some cultivars grow compact and bushy, like the Bush Crop and Salad Bush varieties. Choose a site that receives full sun and protection from the wind.

Soil and Watering

• Cucumbers thrive best in soil that is well-drained, loose and fertile with lots of organic matter. Add compost or manure to the soil before planting. A slightly acidic to neutral pH that ranges between 6.0 and 7.0 yields the best cucumbers. Cucumber plants are shallow-rooted and fast-growing, which requires an ample amount of even watering. This is especially important when the fruit starts to set and as it matures. Add a layer of mulch to conserve water, prevent weeds, keep the soil loose and prevent the fruits from sitting on the soil and rotting.

Harvesting Cucumbers

• Cucumbers are usually ready to harvest between 50 and 70 days after planting. They mature quickly, and picking them frequently encourages more fruit to develop. Judge the readiness of the cucumber by its size. Don't allow it to stay on the vine until it starts turning yellow, because it becomes bitter at that point. Cut the stem at a 1/4 inch above the fruit. Store cucumbers in the refrigerator and use within a couple of days, because they don't keep for long.

Pests and Diseases

• Cucumber beetles are the main insect pest on cucumber plants. They chew holes into the leaves and can spread diseases. Aphids are also found, as are cucumber beetles. Look for colonies of them sucking plant juices from the leaves' undersides. Use insecticides with care, because broad-spectrum insecticides also kill essential pollinating insects. Opt for hand-picking the beetles and spraying the aphids off with a hard stream of water. Cucumber varieties like Liberty and Wisconsin SMR 58 are resistant to cucumber beetles. Bacterial wilt, transmitted by cucumber beetles, is the most common cucumber disease. It causes the leaves to wilt and sometimes die and the fruits to shrivel. Destroy infected plants and plant resistant varieties like Little Leaf.