HOW TO GROW CUCUMBER?
Cucumber (Scientific Name: Cucumis sativus) is a common vegetable that is found in almost all places. It is a creeping vine, so it needs some form of support to grow. They can be enjoyed in various forms like pickling, salads or eating straight from the plant.
There are three main varieties of cucumber, they are slicing, pickling and seedless varieties. Within each variety, there are several cultivars. The slicing variety grows long, usually about 6-8 inches long, but the pickling variety is short, grows around 3-4 inches long. Nowadays, various bush varieties are found, that can be grown in very limited space.
Select a place which has plenty of loose, organic soil, which has also warm and humid weather. The place should get plenty of sunlight. The soil should be fertile or it can be made fertile by adding organic manure and kitchen wastes. The plant needs adequate amount of water also. Fertilise the soil using organic manure and compost and remove any rocks, sticks or other debris. This plant needs full sunny spot for perfect growth.
Cucumber plant need plenty of space in the garden, as they are found to be creeping vine just like pumpkin and watermelon. So keep that in mind, and allocate plenty of space while planting the seeds or seedlings.
In order to reduce the space, the cucumber plant can be trained to climb on the fence or trellies. Tie the plant in the trellies or fence at the beginning stage when the tendrils appear. This takes less space and makes the garden look neat and tidy.
Cucumber seeds can be sown in small pots and kept inside the house till they become small seedlings. Before transferring the seedlings to the garden, make sure the weather outside is perfect for the seedlings. There should not be any frost or other cool condition outside.
Alternatively, the seeds can be directly sowed in the garden, if the soil temperature is between 16 to 35 degree centigrade. The distance between two plants can usually be 40-60 cm.
Regular watering and adequate quantity of fertilizers encourage the plant to produce more cucumbers.
Harvest the cucumber in 8-10 weeks from the date of planting the seeds. The cucumber can be cut with the help of scissors or a sharp knife. The harvesting size for Lebanese cucumber is about 10-12 cm length, whereas Gerkins are usually harvested when they reach 5-6 cm long.
Compatible plants are the plants that can be grown near the cucumber plant. These include beans, celery, sunflowers, cabbages, coriander, lettuce, sweet corn, fennel etc. However the cucumber is found to be non-compatible with tomatoes and potato plant. Hence planting near tomato plants and potato plants is not that good.
There are three main varieties of cucumber, they are slicing, pickling and seedless varieties. Within each variety, there are several cultivars. The slicing variety grows long, usually about 6-8 inches long, but the pickling variety is short, grows around 3-4 inches long. Nowadays, various bush varieties are found, that can be grown in very limited space.
Select a place which has plenty of loose, organic soil, which has also warm and humid weather. The place should get plenty of sunlight. The soil should be fertile or it can be made fertile by adding organic manure and kitchen wastes. The plant needs adequate amount of water also. Fertilise the soil using organic manure and compost and remove any rocks, sticks or other debris. This plant needs full sunny spot for perfect growth.
Cucumber plant need plenty of space in the garden, as they are found to be creeping vine just like pumpkin and watermelon. So keep that in mind, and allocate plenty of space while planting the seeds or seedlings.
In order to reduce the space, the cucumber plant can be trained to climb on the fence or trellies. Tie the plant in the trellies or fence at the beginning stage when the tendrils appear. This takes less space and makes the garden look neat and tidy.
Cucumber seeds can be sown in small pots and kept inside the house till they become small seedlings. Before transferring the seedlings to the garden, make sure the weather outside is perfect for the seedlings. There should not be any frost or other cool condition outside.
Alternatively, the seeds can be directly sowed in the garden, if the soil temperature is between 16 to 35 degree centigrade. The distance between two plants can usually be 40-60 cm.
Regular watering and adequate quantity of fertilizers encourage the plant to produce more cucumbers.
Harvest the cucumber in 8-10 weeks from the date of planting the seeds. The cucumber can be cut with the help of scissors or a sharp knife. The harvesting size for Lebanese cucumber is about 10-12 cm length, whereas Gerkins are usually harvested when they reach 5-6 cm long.
Compatible plants are the plants that can be grown near the cucumber plant. These include beans, celery, sunflowers, cabbages, coriander, lettuce, sweet corn, fennel etc. However the cucumber is found to be non-compatible with tomatoes and potato plant. Hence planting near tomato plants and potato plants is not that good.