Cucumber
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Cucumbers are trailing plants that provide a bumper harvest of tiny, small or larger fruit.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Good drainage, plenty of food; something to climb on
Soil:
Well-drained and rich. Incorporate compost and well-rotted manure or pellets. Create a mound to improve drainage in heavy soil.
How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground or in punnets into seed-raising mixture. 10mm deep. Keep moist. Germinates in 4-10 days. SEEDLING: Plant outside when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall. Space 40cm apart, in rows 120cm apart. Allow to sprawl on the ground or train them up a trellis or teepee. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulched with straw at the growing point. Vines can be allowed to scramble along the ground, but training them up a fence or trellis allows for better airflow, and makes fruit easier to see and pick. Cover with shadecloth or a sheet in extremely hot weather.
When to harvest: Start harvesting from 8-10 weeks. Snip off fruit with scissors.
Troubleshooting:
Slugs and snails; aphids; spider mites; rats; powdery mildew
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
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Grow cucumber
With a little guidance, cucumbers can provide a bumper harvest. Here are a few growing tips.