Here are some tips for growing cucumbers by the ThriftyFun community.
By Mariann
By Jo Bodey
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
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Try growing your cucumbers in hanging baskets hanging on a fence. If it's a wooden fence, all you need to do is stretch a wire or some string along it so as the cucumber has something to grow along.
In my garden I put out an old wooden chair which has no cushion on it. I planted cucumbers along the legs of the chair, and "trained" the cucumbers to climb all over it.
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
Can cucumber vines lie on the ground and produce or do they need to be staked?
By Gene from Bahama, NC
From what my father used to do, he had them on the ground and they turned out wonderful. I'm sure you'll be fine.
Although some people have had success letting the cukes lie on the ground, you might be better off staking them up on sturdy poles to avoid rot.
The folks who have successfully grown cukes (or any similar crop) on the ground succeed because they have the time to check daily for signs of rot, and turn the growing cuke carefully if they see signs (white spots, soft spots, brown spots...). If you have the time to do that, then grow them on the ground.
LOL, of course, staking brings along its own set of problems, mainly weight of the growing cuke (or melon, squash, and other large fruit/veg) pulling it clean off the stem! A lot of gardeners who use super feeds (which causes the extra heavy fruit/veg) also use old panty hose to create a net, wiring or tying the netted fruit/veg to the stake.
Hi,
just want to tell you I am in my third year of planting my Cucumbers in a large patio pot... on the ground never worked for me.
I insert a tall pole in the center of the Pot a few days after planting. I tell you the cucumbers grow fantastically huge with Miracle grow for veggies and I yield 16 or more to a patio pot. I tie them to the poles with Stockings to prevent cutting into the Vine itself.
My neighbors were in awe.
Watering is very important daily. They are mostly in the sun till about 6 in the evening. Make sure the pots are huge ... one to a Pot.
I have the most luck with sweet slice and burp less cucumbers.
Hopefully this will help someone with a great yield like I have.
Jaye
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
I picked a nice green cucumber. Over a couple of weeks in the house, it slowly turned yellow. It is firm and looks really good. I read some of the other questions and answers about cukes turning yellow on the vine, and being bitter.
Why did the one I have turn yellow off the vine, instead of spoiling? It's sitting on my table and was never refrigerated. It looks good enough to eat.
Was it refrigerated during this time? They do turn yellow if they get too hot.
You can try cutting off both ends and squeezing it. If it is bitter, the bitter stuff will come out.
This is my first time having such a big plot of land for a garden and I was wondering if every year I should switch where I plant my cucumbers or just add nutrients to the soil?
My pickling cucumbers only grew to be the size of golf balls. What can I do to the soil to fix this? I had them planted in 3 separate places, and they were all the same.
By Linda
I plant cucumbers in containers and have had bumper crops, but lately I just get lots of flowers, but no cucumbers or a few tiny ones. Why?
By BK
Not enough bees for pollination of fruit.
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
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.
How do you grow cucumbers?
By John D from Carlisle
The easiest way is to buy seedlings and plant them.
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.
How can I tell which blooms are male or female on my cucumber plants? Can you post a picture?
By LuyBaby
I planted cucumbers a week ago in the starter kit. They are already budding and some are about an inch tall. Some also have yellow on the leaves. I think I may have planted then too early as we still have snow on the ground and I don't know what to do now since I can't transplant them outdoors.
By Patty O. from NY
Be prepared to lose those cucumbers because there's a good chance you will. If you will keep the plants as close as possible to a light source at least 16 hours a day and water sparingly (never let the soil get completely wet at this stage of growth), you may well be able to save the plants. It has been done. I wish you luck.
My cucumber plants are still producing, but now a lot of leaves are covered with white spots. What's that and what should I spray the plants with?
By betes51
What type of soil should I use for planting cucumbers?
By Julia C.
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
