Cucamelon Plant 'Mexican Gherkin'

How to Grow Cucumber Plants 

Growing your own cucumbers can be a rewarding experience, offering a fresh, crunchy, and delicious addition to your garden harvest. Whether you're a novice gardener or an experienced horticulturist, this guide will help you successfully grow cucumber plants. From selecting the right variety to harvesting your crop, we've got you covered. 

Choosing the Right Cucumber Variety 

Cucumbers come in two main types: slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are generally larger and have thicker skins, making them perfect for fresh salads and snacks. Pickling cucumbers are smaller and have thinner skins, ideal for making pickles. 

When selecting your cucumber seeds, consider your climate and space. Some varieties are better suited for greenhouse growing, while others thrive outdoors. Popular varieties include: 

Marketmore: A reliable outdoor variety known for its disease resistance. 

Mini Munch: Perfect for small spaces and containers. 

Burpless Tasty Green: Known for its mild flavour and fewer seeds. 

Preparing the Soil 

Cucumbers thrive in rich, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. To prepare your garden bed: 

Choose a sunny spot: Cucumbers need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. 

Amend the soil: Incorporate plenty of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, to improve soil fertility and drainage. 

Test the pH: Adjust if necessary using lime to raise the pH or sulphur to lower it. 

Caring for Cucumber Plants 

Proper care is essential for a healthy cucumber crop: 

Water consistently: Cucumbers need about 1 inch of water per week. Water deeply and regularly, keeping the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. 

Mulch: Apply a layer of organic mulch around the plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil warm. 

Fertilise: Feed cucumbers with a balanced fertiliser or a high-potassium feed once they start to flower. 

Training and Supporting Vines 

Cucumber plants can sprawl across the ground, but using supports can save space and improve air circulation, reducing the risk of disease. Use trellises, cages, or stakes to train vines vertically. This method also makes harvesting easier and keeps fruits clean. 

Pest and Disease Management 

Cucumbers are susceptible to several pests and diseases. Keep an eye out for common issues like aphids, cucumber beetles, and powdery mildew. Use the following strategies for management: 

Handpick pests: Remove pests by hand or use a strong spray of water. 

Natural predators: Encourage beneficial insects like ladybirds and lacewings. 

Disease prevention: Ensure good air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and rotate crops annually. 

Harvesting Your Cucumbers 

Cucumbers are ready to harvest when they are firm and the right size for their variety. Regular harvesting encourages the plant to produce more fruit. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut cucumbers from the vine, being careful not to damage the plant. 

Growing cucumbers can be a delightful and productive addition to your garden. With the right variety, soil preparation, and care, you'll be rewarded with a delicious harvest of crisp, flavourful cucumbers. Happy gardening! 

Plug Plants: Once your plug plants have been delivered, remove them immediately from their packaging. Place them in a shallow dish of water for a few minutes to soak the plug of compost. Ideally, these should be potted on immediately or if not, within a day or 2, keeping the plugs indoors in a warm and sunny place and ensuring the compost plug does not dry out. You may need to turn the plugs around as they will start to grow towards the light. 

Potting on Cucumber Plugs: When you are ready to pot the plugs on, lift them by their leaves, not the stem, as these bruise easily and can cause disease to enter and kill the plants.  Pot into 9cm pots filled with potting on compost by making a hole big enough for the plug to go into. Plant so the seedling leaves are still proud of the surface. Tap to settle the compost and give them a good water. 

9cm and 13cm Plants 

Upon receiving your Plants: Remove the pots immediately upon receipt and give them a good water. If particularly dry, plunge them into a bucket of water until no air bubbles are seen from the compost. Keep them in a warm place and keep well-watered until ready to plant. 

These plants are larger and more mature than plugs and are ready to be planted straight away but will still benefit from hardening off before their final planting. 

Hardening off:  

Once your potted on plants reach approx. 15cm (6in) tall and they are ready to plant out in their final location, the first step is to harden them off before moving them outdoors permanently. This involves simply placing them outdoors during the day and back undercover at night to allow them to get accustomed to the lower temperatures. Once they have been hardened off for a week your plants should be ready to plant out in their final location. 

Cucumber plants tend to like loamy soils, But will grow well in Peat Free Compost