Cucumbers

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cucumbers

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An easy-care vegetable that loves sun and water, cucumbers grow quickly as long as they receive consistent watering. Most varieties will grow in any amount of space, thanks to the plant’s ability to climb. Of course, these prolific veggies are perfect for pickling!

There are two types of cucumber plants: vining cucumbers and bush cucumbers. The most common varieties grow on vigorous vines shaded by large leaves. The growth of these plants is fast, and the crop yield is abundant if you care for them properly. Vining varieties grow up a trellis or fence. They will be cleaner—versus those that grow atop soil—often more prolific, and easier to pick.

Bush cucumbers are, however, nicely suited to containers and small gardens. Make successive plantings (every two weeks for continued harvests). In already-warm summer soil, cucumbers will grow quickly and ripen in about six weeks!

If you’re interested in making pickles, we recommend several prolific varieties below that are bred especially for pickling, such as heirloom ‘Boston Pickling’. For crispy pickles, be sure to prepare them within a few hours of harvesting!

Planting

Cucumber plants are seeded or transplanted outside in the ground no earlier than 2 weeks after last frost date. Cucumbers are extremely susceptible to frost damage; the soil must be at least 70ºF for germination. Do not plant outside too soon!
Before you plant outside, select a site with full sun.
Soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.0.
Cucumbers require fertile soil. Mix in compost and/or aged manure before planting to a depth of 2 inches and work into the soil 6 to 8 inches deep. Make sure that soil is moist and well-drained, not soggy.
Improve clay soil by adding organic matter. Improve dense, heavy soil by adding peat, compost or rotted manure. (Get a soil test if you are unsure of your soil type; contact your local county cooperative extension.) Light, sandy soils are preferred for northern gardens, as they warm quickly in the spring. See our guide to soil amendments.
Plant seedlings one inch deep and about 36 to 60 inches apart, depending on variety. For vines trained on a trellis, space plants 1 foot apart.
For an early crop, start cucumber seeds indoors about 3 weeks before you transplant them in the ground. They like bottom heat of about 70ºF (21ºC). If you don’t have a heat mat, put the seeds flat on top of the refrigerator or perch a few on top of the water heater.
If you live in the cooler climates, you can help warm the soil by covering the hill or row with black plastic.
Once the ground is warm, mulch with pine straw, chopped leaves, or another organic mulch to keep pests at bay, and also keep bush types off the ground to avoid disease.
A trellis is a good idea if you want the vine to climb, or if you have limited space. Trellising also protects the fruit from damage from lying on the moist ground. See how to build a trellis and support for vining vegetables.

Care

The main plant care requirement for cucumbers is water—consistent watering! They need one inch of water per week (more if temperatures are sky high). Put your finger in the soil and when it is dry past the first joint of your finger, it is time to water. Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit.
Water slowly in the morning or early afternoon, avoiding the leaves so that you don’t get leaf diseases which will ruin the plant. If possible, water your cucumbers with a soaker hose or drip irrigation to keep the foliage dry.
Mulch to hold in soil moisture.
Cover seeds with netting or a berry basket if you have pests; this will keep them from digging out the seeds.
When seedlings emerge, begin to water frequently, and increase to a gallon per week after fruit forms.
When seedlings reach 4 inches tall, thin plants so that they are 1½ feet apart.
If you’ve worked organic matter into the soil before planting, you may only need to side-dress your plants with compost or well-rotted manure.
If you wish, use a liquid fertilizer from your garden store such as vegetable plant food which is low nitrogen/high potassium and phosphorus formula. Apply at planting, 1 week after bloom, and every 3 weeks, directly to the soil around the plants. Or, you can work a granular fertilizer into the soil. Do not over-fertilize or the fruits will get stunted.
If you have limited space or would prefer vertical vines, set up trellises early to avoid damage to seedlings and vines.
Spray vines with sugar water to attract bees and set more fruit.

Pests/Diseases

If your cucumber plants do not set fruit, it’s not usually a disease. There is probably a pollination issue. The first flowers were all male. Both female and male flowers must be blooming at the same time. This may not happen early in the plant’s life, so be patient. (Female flowers are the ones with a small cucumber-shaped swelling at the base that will become the fruit.)
Lack of fruit may also be due to poor pollination by bees, especially due to rain or cold temperatures, or insecticides. To rest assured, you could always hand pollinate. (Dip a Q-tip into the male pollen and transfer it to the center of the female flower.)
Remember, gynoecious hybrids require pollinator plants.
Squash bugs may attack seedlings.
Aphids are always a nuisance for any vegetable plant but easily managed.
Powdery mildew can be a problem if the leaves get wet (water at the soil level). Apply fungicides at the first sign of its presence.
Cucumber Beetles may attack the vines and can cause disease.

Harvest/Storage

Don’t let cucumbers get too large or the will taste bitter.
At peak harvesting time, you should be picking cucumbers every couple of days. They’ll grow quickly!
Harvest regular slicing cucumbers when they about 6 to 8 inches long (slicing varieties).
Harvest dills at 4 to 6 inches long and pickles at 2 inches long for pickles.
The large burpless cucumbers can be up to 10 inches long and some types are even larger.
Cucumbers are best picked before their seeds become hard and are eaten when immature. Do not let them get yellow. A cucumber is of highest quality when it is uniformly green, firm, and crisp.
Any cucumbers left on the vine too long will also get tough skins and lower plant productivity.
How to pick? Using a knife or clippers, cut the stem above the fruit. Pulling the fruit may damage the vine.
Keep them picked. If you don’t, as plants mature, they will stop producing.
Cucumbers are over 90 percent water. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to retain moisture.
They will keep for a week to 10 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.

Recommended Varieties

Burpless Bush Hybrid is a popular bush form of cucumber.
‘Boston Pickling’ is our favorite heirloom variety bred especially for pickling.
We also recommend disease-resistant ‘Sassy’ or ‘Calypso’ for early yields.
Long, thin ‘Parisian Pickling’ is great for making gherkins or cornichons.
Lemon cucumber is a smaller cucumber many folks find reliable.

Wit & Wisdom

Plant cucumbers while you are wearing your pajamas, on the first day of May, before sunrise, and no bugs will eat them.
If you’re pickling, consider growing dill, the favorite pickling herb! Plant every few weeks into midsummer to ensure a constant supply. See how to grow dill.
Don’t forget that cucumbers aren’t just for eating. When puréed in the blender, cucumbers make a great summer facial for toning the skin. Check out other great and unexpected uses for cucumbers.
With special molds, you can grow cucumbers in different shapes like hearts and stars!

Recipes

Cooking Notes

See our section on pickling with lots of recipes and ideas.
Enjoy our fun video on How to Make Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles!

Reader Comments

Germinating Vines

I have found it helps to germinate vine seeds early in pots by using warm water to water them.

cucumber's not getting green 2nd question

I read your reply thank you, the vines are healthy and seem disease free but it has a lot of leaves and there big can they be pruned to let more sun in to help them get darker green or will this kill the plant? I can't remember the name of the plant I bought, I wanted to get straight eight I planted this last year and I had no problem's but I couldn't find them at the store, anyway you also said they might be over ripe but how do I know that if there not green that's why I didn't pick them and they just kept getting bigger but not green? The temps were hot here 80-90 and I watered early morning and evening is that too much? sorry just trying to figure this out.

Cucumbers

Hi Anthony,

It’s hard to say exactly what’s the problem without knowing the variety. The cucumbers could be a light colored variety, they could be overripe (pick one and taste it to see if it tastes good), or they could not be getting enough light. If they taste good, you don’t need to do anything and can harvest them as you like. Cucumbers don’t need to be green to taste good. If they taste bad, then they are overripe.

why aren't my cucumbers getting dark green

I have cucumbers growing but there not turning dark green this year plus there huge, am I watering to much or to little? last year my cucumbers were a normal size and nice dark green so I don't understand why this year there not,i just picked one and it was 16 inches and light green and I have approx. 8-10 on the vine and most are big and light green should I pick them or see if they will turn darker green? please can someone tell me why this happening and what I should do? thanks

cucumber troubles

Cucumbers that become both too large and pale are likely because they are over-ripe. If you think that might be the case, see the above article for size guidelines, depending on the type that you grow. Cucumbers can also be paler due to lack of sunshine on the fruit (shaded by leaves, for example), or sometimes, too much watering. Hot temperatures can also play a role. Diseases may also turn cucumbers pale or discolored, as can a nutrient deficiency. Some varieties of cucumbers, however, are naturally pale–and some, like the European (English) cucumbers, are naturally long, but slender. Hope this helps!

Cucumber can be grow easily

Impressive to learned how to plant/grow/harvest cucumber. I will like to try it here in Mamfe, Cameroon but i have difficulty with the cucumber seed in the local market/store.

cukes.

Why are my English cucumbers curving like the letter U. They are delicious, however I am puzzles.

curling cucumbers

There are several reasons why a cucumber will curl (called crooking), including pollination troubles (such as not enough pollinators, or hot weather damaging the pollen) or not enough nutrients, water, light, or adequate warmth. Pests and diseases can also cause curling or deformed cucumbers. If the fruit is blocked by an obstacle while it is developing, even a leaf, then it can curl; growing cucumbers on a trellis, so that the fruit can hang, helps to prevent this problem. Check to see if your plants are receiving ideal conditions, and look for any signs of pests and diseases. In hot weather, you might provide some shade during the hottest part of the day. Also, if you are growing cucumbers outdoors, be sure that the variety you select is not parthenocarpic (for example, ‘Sweet Success’); these cucumber varieties do not need pollination and are best grown in the greenhouse, where there are no pollinators; if they do become pollinated, then the fruit can curl or become otherwise misshapen.

Cukes

Never new it was a no-no to plant cukes in the same spot year after year. Developed rust. I will replace all the soil before planting next spring. Fungiside is helping; however the damage is done.

Pickling cucumbers

Hi. When will pickling cucumbers be ready this year? I usually buy them at the Mpls Farmers Market. Is it normally mid-late July? How about dill? Thanks.

Round Cucumbers

Hello, can anyone tell me why my cukes are growing round like baseballs and not long? They are not the round variety and should be long & skinny.

Round Cucumbers

If round cucumbers are occurring on just one plant but others are normal, then your seeds are to blame. Occasionally, a hybrid seed will make it into a packet and produce unexpected results, which is probably what happened in your case. Don’t worry, though, as spherical cucumbers are essentially the same as normal ones—just a little more well-rounded!

Cocumber Planting date

May i plant a cocumber in the month of june?

Planting Cucumber in Summer

Yes, cucumbers appreciate the warm summer temperatures and should mature in approximately six weeks under good conditions.

will new cucumber plants still grow if chipmunck ate tops off?

Just found all my new cucumber seedlings gone -eaten off at the stem -but stems are still there, will they grow or do I have to start all over and replant seeds?

cucumber woes

It is possible that the plants may grow back, if the roots are intact, especially if the plant is pampered (grown at optimum conditions and protected from extreme temperatures). But it might be safer to start again from seed, or buy transplants. Damaged plants likely will take a while to recover (if they do), delaying harvest, and they may not be as vigorous. You could keep a few, to see if they perk back up, but add new ones, too, as a precaution. Protect against animal and insect pests, such as covering seedlings with a row cover.

dying of cucumber

we are planting cucumber in our farm land near our home. All plants were better for a month at western part of Nepal .we ueed to have regular watering but some month its started dying .all leafs seems pale. so any suggestions for me to preserve them

cucumber flowers

I am learning to plant cucumber by hydroponic, but after the cucumber flower, all the flower cannot blooming both female and male flowers all closed and not blossom. What happen with my cucumber

Cucumber Wilting

I have planted cucumbers in a polyhouse. After almost one month, some plants are wilting. We find the stem at the bottom gets thin and the plant dies. Can any one give me suggestions, please!

Damping off, a fungal disease

Damping off, a fungal disease, is a problem with young cucumber seedlings. Make sure your pots and soil are sterile and plant just a few seeds in a cup. Use room temperature water and keep the soil just moist. Watering from the bottom sometimes helps. Air circulation is also important. Keep a small fan nearby if needed. Thin seedlings if they seem to be crowded in the cup or pot. Good luck!

I wonder why English

I wonder why English cucumbers seem to grow nice and even all around for up to 4" but then...
The start to curl into weird shapes and become very thick at the ends while still attached to stem.
Any idea as to why?
In grocery stores they look straight and almost perfect.
I never had problem with growing good crops, just the shapes.
Thanks to anyone who can help :-)
P.S. I also live in Canada and my friend with a very green thumb, has similar "problem".

How to Keep Cukes on the Straight and Narrow

Hi, Ela: Thanks for this fantastic question! One thing that may be happening concerns the fact that English cucumbers are self-fruiting, not in the sense that they pollinate themselves (as self-fruiting often means), but that they don’t need pollination. For this reason, they produce only female flowers. If a bee or the wind or whatever comes along and pollinates that flower, then the resulting fruit will usually be misshapen in some way. So if your cukes are not only not straight, but also bulging or curving, etc., then you may have to take steps to prevent the flowers from being pollinated. However, if your cukes continue to be of uniform diameter as they curve, then the solution may be somewhat more straightforward: gravity. Just grow them from a trellis so that they hang down, and gravity will hopefully keep pulling them down on the straight and narrow–or at least more than they appear to be now. Thanks again, and good luck!

Cucumbers (English)

Thank you very much for a speedy answer and tips.
I didn't know about self-fruiting.
Now, that you explained the cause of misshapen cucumbers, I think the "external powers" have a lot to do with that since I tried growing them on trellis, netting, on the ground...You name it, I tried it :-)
I really like your website and all the neat and useful information.

Cucumber care

I started growing cucumbers on March 8 in western Canada, they're sprouts now but I haven't seen much growth beyond that. When should I look into supports, how often should I water them, how should I water them, and will they be fine being grown indoors in a pot moved outdoors as weather permits?

Reading Time

Hi, Jackson: Be sure to read all of the cuke info above about care and watering. They can be moved outdoors OK, but well after the possibility for frost has passed; to find your last frost date, go here: http://www.almanac.com/content/frost-chart-canada. Sometimes the reason for slow cuke growth is simply that they are not warm enough. Cukes need both sun and warmth, but there is a difference between the two. Try using a (low) heating pad underneath, or just put them higher up in the room (heat rises) if possible. Thanks for asking, and good luck!

feed back

thank you for educating but please may you mention the deasese and its suitable

Cucumbers

I live in Southern California. I'm growing cucumbers. They've been doing good. My question is, what is the ending of the season?

cucumber growing season

You can find out the recommended times to plant and harvest in your area, based on local climate, by going to this page and putting in your zip code.

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/

For San Diego, for example, sowing cucumber seeds outdoors can be done in October, for a harvest in mid-November through December. Seeds can be sown indoors the month of January, as well as sown outdoors the first half of February, for a harvest from mid-April through mid-May.

They are a fruit, not a

Aren't cucumbers a fruit, not a vegetable?

fruit or veggie?

Botanically speaking, cucumbers are a fruit, developing from the flower and containing seeds. But as far as seed catalogs and salads, they are treated as a vegetable, in part because they have a more savory than sweet taste.

Question about Cucumbers

I planted pickling cucumbers in a raised bed. I've noticed that a number of them are yellowish in color - not the bright green and white that you'd expect. I've planted these before and never saw yellow. Is something wrong with the plant? - or do they turn yellow if hidden under the leaves out of sun light? Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks!

yellow cucumbers

Cucumbers can turn yellow if they are overripe, diseased (such as by a virus), over-watered, or have nutrient deficiencies. (There are also yellow varieties, but it sounds like yours isn’t one of those.) Follow the harvesting recommendations for your particular variety – pickling cucumbers can be picked for gherkins around 1.5 to 2 inches long, or for dills from 3 to 6 inches long, depending on type. Check the health of the vine and leaves – any sign of disease or stress? If you suspect that your soil is low in nutrients, you might want to have it tested. You might also remove the yellow cucumbers to encourage more fruit set; it could be that the future cucumbers will be green and healthy.

baby cucumbers eaten by some animal

my problem is my baby cucumbers are eaten by some one qhe they are just small, I dont know what is doing that. I notices little scratches on the litle cucumbers and then the next day tey are gone. there is no signs of who is doing it. I have seen field mice in my back yard so maybe they are responsible for this. What can I do? Please heeeeeeelp

animal pests

If you suspect that an animal is getting to your cucumbers - mouse, vole, chipmunk, squirrel, raccoon - then you might try protecting the cucumber plants with wire mesh. It would help to know exactly what pest it is, as some can dig under barricades, or hop/climb over to a certain height. But for starters, for small animals – you might try a 2-foot-tall or more barrier around the plant, buried 6 to 10 inches deep. For more information, try our animal pest pages, such as:

http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening-blog/be-critter-detective
http://www.almanac.com/pest/voles
http://www.almanac.com/pest/mice
http://www.almanac.com/pest/rabbits
http://www.almanac.com/pest/raccoons
http://www.almanac.com/pest/squirrels

Yellow cucumbers?

Ive grown straight 8 cucumbers and bush cucs for several years now with great success. This year I followed everything Ive always done except my straight 8's are not turning green. They are growing to the normal length and are fat around but they are yellow and more on the bitter side. I live in the California valley so we are prime growing area. What is going wrong this year?

Growing Cucumbers

A yellow, bitter cucumber often means the cucumber is under stress from low moisture, high temperatures, and/or nutritional imbalance. Have you had any drought-y periods? During dry times, provide 1 to 1 ½ inches of water each time you water, plus mulch to conserve moisture.

If your cucumbers are still going strong, try harvesting the bitter yellow cucumbers to encourage more fruit set and see if they start to green. Also, try cutting off the stem-end and removing the skin of bitter cucumbers and that should remove much of the bitter taste.

Also, for the future, there are bitter-free varieties, including Carmen, County Fair, Diva, Green Knight, Sweet Slice, Sweet Success and Tasty Green.

How much water and how often do I need to water?

I have not been very successful with cucumbers for two years in a row. I buy small plants instead of growing with seeds. The flowers withered and die. I know the plants did not miss water but did I put too much water? It is my third attempt with English cucumbers but this time I put a cage for both plants to grow upward. It seems to be good for now but my question is how much water (1 liter - 2 liters... etc) do I have to put. Should I water daily? I will bookmark this page but if you can email me to let me know you replied, I would appreciate. Thank You. PS; I already read a lot on many sites but I could not find an answer to how much water should I use.

how much water do cucumbers need

Cucumbers need a gallon of water a week. Here is a handy chart to guide you with any other vegetables you might grow: http://www.almanac.com/content/when-water-vegetables

cucumber

I have great looking plants on a trellis...have many blooms but no cucumbers....planted May 15.

growing cucumbers

nice pic's but how do you twist them up?

Germination

I used fresh seed, kept it well watered, and the soil/weather has been hot. Out of 10 hills with 6 seeds in each, only one has germinated. It has been 16 days. How do you know when the seeds are just not going to germ? If i am going to get a crop, i would have to reseed very soon, but i dont want to jump the gun.

cukes are not coming . . .

Hmph. Had a similar problem with zucchini. Lots of seeds were set out, but only one germinated. So I planted more seeds and bought a few seedlings. Now half a dozen more seeds are coming along. That doesn’t help you, of course, but the trigger seemed to be the heat.

That doesn’t explain the two out of four rows of green and yellow haricot vert beans that failed me. All beans were from the same packets. The rows are only a foot or two away. Why would some pop up fine and others never show? When I asked an expert she just shrugged and said, “You never know.” Another year, “new” carrot seeds just disappeared in the soil never to send up even a sign.

Maybe the seeds were too deep. Maybe they got too dry. Maybe there wasn’t enough heat to keep them going. (I know, you said all those conditions were in favor. I thought so too.)

You can start the seeds indoors and then transplant seedlings. (Stores sell almost everything as seedlings these days. It must be working…) But that would give you an early idea of what to expect.

Look at it this way: If you put in more seeds now, you can thin the weaklings. Or transplant them. It would be unfortunate to think a month from now, “what if…” or “I shoulda…”

We understand your dilemma (and frustration). Give them another day or so, then reseed.

Knowing if seeds are viable

You can put the seeds you want to plant in a cup of water. The seeds that sink are most viable and will hopefully germinate. The ones that don't sink you will see are usually smaller and thin and should be discarded. I do this with my beans. With that I get about a 85-100% germination rate depending on the age of the seeds.

white cucumbers

I have cucumbers that are about 10 to 12 inches long and are light green and white on the bottom. They are not turning green. Any suggestions or what should I do?

white cucumbers

you have a deficiency in your soil..I ran into the same problem..Just think about it the soil is made up of several vitamins and minerals.
just simply go buy some powdered milk follow the instructions mix and pour evenly on the base of your plants..this will give them the calcium they need. Also go buy some Epson salt broad cast it through your garden..this will help.. watch your garden grow... make sure not to over water.

Yellow baby cucumber plants

I have some cucumber plants that I started from seed that are just about ready for transplant to the garden. As I've been hardening them off and started giving some sun, they have started to yellow.

They started in a soilless seed starter and have not been given any extra fertilizer thus far. Not sure if I should do something to them before I try to plant. Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks!!

Andy

Burping cucumbers

I would love to know how to get the burp out of cucumbers... Someone one told me of process with salt and I cannot recall ... Can anyone advise me??

We’ve heard old timers soak

We’ve heard old timers soak cucumbers in salted water for several hours or overnight. Another tip suggests cutting off the end of the cucumber and rubbing it against the cut end and then doing it again on the other end. Good luck!

Cucumber sprouts too close together

Looking for some help. I planted my cucumber seeds 5 days ago and they are just beginning to sprout. I realized now how CLOSE they are together. At this stage, and I able to transfer them to distance themselves a bit more without killing them? Your assistance is very appreciated!

The sooner you thin your

The sooner you thin your cucumbers the better. You may not be able to save the tiny plant that you pull up. You can try to plant them in small pots with potting mix to see if they will survive.

The cucumber seedlings are

The cucumber seedlings are very tender, you are more likely to kill all of them if you try to separate them. You are better of thinning them to correct spacing and replanting some new seeds.

yellow cucumber leaves

I planted my young cucumber plants 2 weeks ago in Texas. Organic fertilizer, manure mixture. But the leaves aren't dark green, kind of a yellowish hue to them. Not prolific like my squash. Any ideas what may be wrong. Thank you.

yellow leaves

Sounds like you have too much nitrogen. Just because a fertilizer is organic manure, does not mean that the nitrogen content is correct. Common wisdom from my parents generation stated you never fertilized with horse or pig manure in the Spring or during the growing season, only after the growing season was done.

yellow leaves

Dennis, see Dianne’s comment above. Unbalanced soil would be our first thought, too. Was the manure “new”—aka hot, fresh, less than 1 year old? Shouldn’t be. It will “burn” baby plants (and adults, too, make no mistake about it). If that’s the case, and the plants have any sign of life, you might uproot them asap and reset them into some soilless seed mixture just long enough for them to come back strong. If they’re not salvageble, start again. From the ground up.

medicine for cucumber- for growth, yeald peast

I will get good medicine for cucumber

Will cucumbers grow indoors

Will cucumbers grow indoors in a large container? How long will they take to grow.

For the best crop yield you

For the best crop yield you should choose seeds of a self-pollinating variety. Unless it is a bush-type, the vines will get quite long so consider using a trellis to grow them up or a hanging basket to let them cascade down. They need a lot of light - a minimum of 6 hours of sun per day - to grow really well so you might have to consider using a growlight to supplement natural daylight, especially in winter. They also like it warm, around 70 degrees with a slight drop in the evening. Depending on the variety you choose it could take 60 days or more to get edible-sized fruit. Good Luck!

Question about cucumber

In south florida area, where I can buy ripe cucumbers and what is the right season to get them?

The best months for fresh

The best months for fresh cucumbers in Florida are March-May and October-December.

I have lots of vining green

I have lots of vining green cucumber plants but no flowers ...I have never seen this ..I have a trellis like a big tent ..Can anyone help me

Here are a couple of

Here are a couple of thoughts. Cucumbers need plenty of sun to produce flowers. Make sure that your plants are not in the shade. If you have been fertilizing nitrogen in the fertilizer will stimulate lots of green growth at the expense of blooms.

Every single cucumber I have

Every single cucumber I have is round. I can't believe it. I have a nice looking plant! Every single cucumber looks like a small watermelon and stops growing at the size of a baseball. Has anyone had this problem? Oh, also they're fuzzy to begin with. I have great pollination, I see bees around it all day long. Sadly one bee got stuck in a flower and died. I'm pretty upset about it. Anyways please tell me I'm not the only one!!!!!

There are a few cucumber

There are a few cucumber varieties that are round. There are also non-cukes that are called cucumbers. For example, the Mandurian Round Cucumber is actually a melon but treated as a cuke. It has a sort of peach fuzz that washes off easily; the skin is a pale green with darker spots--sort of resembling a watermelon. It grows about tennis-ball size. Perhaps this is what you have in your garden?

my cucumbers are growing

my cucumbers are growing well, i water them every 2 days, so keep an eye on them, they do grow quickly good luck!!!!

We have cucumbers growing in

We have cucumbers growing in the same area as our crookneck squash. I found about 5 cucumbers out there all season, ranging in size from about 3" to about 9" and really fat around. We have the type of cucumber that has bumps all over it. Trouble is, that's all the cuc's we've had, and there are no more growing. I water consistently ever 12 hours on a timer, and there's plenty of sun 12 hours + per day. I've also been feeding them with the granule plan food every month or so. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, any ideas?

Hi, Steven, The first

Hi, Steven, The first question is, are you getting flowers? Cukes have male and female flowers; the latter have a small fruit behind them. The male flowers, which form before the female flowers, produce the pollen needed to produce the fruit (cukes), but that's all they do in the process. If you have been getting both flowers and no fruit, you might lack pollinators. Hand pollication is an option in that case.
There is a slight difference in the timing of the appearance of the male and female flowers, often a function of plant variety and/or environmental conditions.
The proximilty of the squash should not be a concern; these plants belong to the same family.
We hope this helps!

I've had crappy turmout this

I've had crappy turmout this year also, i think it's because of the lack of heat, especially at night

i use a product called fish

i use a product called fish emulsion, it can be purchased at home hardware stores,i love it, my pumpkins are big so as my cucumbers. try it you may be impressed.!!!!!!

I started a cucumber plant

I started a cucumber plant from a regular pickled green cucumber this winter and planted it in my garden. It looks great outside but the fruit is producing a thick fuzz on the outside and looks nothing like the cucumber I took the seed from. What am I doing wrong and can I correct it? Thank u

The fuzz should disappear

The fuzz should disappear when the cuke matures. Is it possible that your cuke cross-pollinated with something else in your garden?

I have small round baby

I have small round baby watermelon looking fruit growing out of my cucumber plant!

I've got cucumbers for the

I've got cucumbers for the second time here in Texas and was wondering. Is it normal for them to stop producing once temperatures reach 100 deg.? They produced 3-4 fruits per plant a day, about a month ago, and now all of them stopped. Most of the leaves are pretty dry and yellow too. I water regularly with soakers and timer. Does it mean not enough water, or lack of nutrients?

Cucumbers are sensitive to

Cucumbers are sensitive to high heat. The plants need consistent moisture to survive hot temperatures. Mulch will help to keep the soil moist and cool. Provide shade during the hottest part of the day.

I picked my cucumbers when

I picked my cucumbers when they were light green in color, because they were 13 inches long. They were weighing down the vines. Will they continue to ripen if I put them in a window.

I just wanted to add here in

I just wanted to add here in the comments in case anyone was wondering. Cucumbers do come back. I live in zone 8 (southern NM. They "died" after our mild winter and I did not pull any of the plants last year. Well in about early June we noticed that the cucumber plant from last year had some color to it and was growing beneath some strawberries. It even had a fully grown cucumber on it when we discovered that it came back.

Excellent post. Thank you for

Excellent post. Thank you for all of the thorough advice.

Just an idea: If you have a lot of cucumbers, try Cucumber Lemonade. Food processed, or run through the blender & strained. Make typical lemonade and use the cucumber juice in place of the water. (I substituted sugar with Splenda) I've seen recipes that added some mint too. If you like lemons, and cucumbers you'll love the drink. It's delicious.

This is my 1st year growing

This is my 1st year growing my own garden (and decided to start everything from seeds, rather than buying small plants). I'm excited that everything has grown and started producing very well, yet my cucumbers have overgrown the trellis and I was wondering if it's safe to trim the tops off the plants? (they grew up almost 5' and I have trained them to grow back down the trellis). I have several flowers, but only 2 have started turning into cucumbers....about 1/4" long.

You can prune the lateral

You can prune the lateral shoots, but do keep the main stem. You may want to do this several times during the growing season. The first flowers to bloom are the male flowers. You will recognize the female flowers by a small bump at the bottom of the flower. Make sure that you have enough pollinators around.

Our cucumbers are round, why

Our cucumbers are round, why is that?

Crazy! Mine are too!!!!

I am a beginner at growing

I am a beginner at growing cucumbers. I have grown zucchini, and yellow squash with no problem. Although I planted two cucumber plants recently. They began to bloom about three weeks ago and I saw the first baby cucumber about two weeks ago. It is about 1/4 of an inch long, the bloom has fallen off, yet it is not growing any more. The plant is still blooming but have not seen any more cucumbers yet! Therefore I would greatly appreciate any productive advice that would be given!
Thanks in advance!
Concerned Gardener

You may have a pollination

You may have a pollination issue. Either you don't have enough pollinating insects right now or it's a timing thing with too many male flowers opening. The male flower has to pollinate the female flower (which are the ones with the swelling beneath the flower). You can try to hand pollinate by moving pollen from a male flower to the female blooms.

hi, i was just introduced to

hi, i was just introduced to cucumber farming and i want to know the appropriate time for planting. pls am intend to go commercial.

I have the burbles type. The

I have the burbles type. The are growing well but when do I pick?

Good for you! You'll pick the

Good for you! You'll pick the "burpless" cucumber when it's young and tender -- no more than 10 inches in length. If it gets too big or old, it get bitter.
Keep harvesting to encourage more yield. Once fruit develops, pinch at the main stem after 7 leaves have formed to encourage sideshoots and more growth.

I live in East Idaho in

I live in East Idaho in higher elevation and have always started plants inside due to short growing season. This year I planted 2 weeks earlier to try to get bigger tomatoes.I used Miracle grow for the first time and my plants were huge. Tomatoes 3+ feet tall and cucumbers 1-2 feet long (I even planted these 2 weeks later). Tomatoes have been planted deep and doing fine outside. But what do I do with the long, viney cucumbers? I have 3 and they are in 3 inch wide pots with cucumbers already on them! I will try to put outside to temper, but afraid the longest will break off moving it. I have an outside garden and a green house.

Hi Dana, Nice to hear that

Hi Dana,

Nice to hear that you had such good luck starting your plants from seed. You can try to move the cucumbers carefully outside and maybe set up a trellis to support the long vines. You can also plant the cucumbers in a bigger pot with fresh soil and use a tomato cage to support the vines.

Hi I'm growing my cucumbers

Hi I'm growing my cucumbers in a big planting pot will my cucumbers actually grow n not die.

You can successfully grow

You can successfully grow cucumbers in containers but you may need to water 2-3 times a day. Cucumbers are mostly water and the fruits will wither and the plants will die if the soil dries out for very long. If you put 3-4 inch layer of mulch over the soil, you can water a little less, but still twice a day is best.

I planted few different

I planted few different cucumber plants late March and I have since transplanted the ones that grew. I have 2 questions. How can I tell what kind of cucumber it is. Burpless or muncher. Also I have a couple tomato plants and pepper plants growing that are close by and the feelers seem to want to attach to the other plants. Should I not let this happen? Thanks for your great website !

Hello...I am growing

Hello...I am growing cucumbers, jalapenos, tomatoes, and green beans in a raised bed in East Texas. We have been lucky and had an abundance of rain this year. My question is when or if it is too soon for the plants to start flowering. The cucumbers and green beans are flowering. A couple of the cucumber plants are not very big, maybe four or five true leaves. All of the green beans plants are about 1 to 11/2 feet tall. The are all blooming but I was worried it is too soon? Thanks

Hi Jason, You are lucky to

Hi Jason,
You are lucky to have such a nice garden this early in the season. With the warm climate in Texas you don't need to worry about late cold spells hurting the plants. Just keep the plants watered and they should do fine. You may want to plant some more beans so that when you harvest the beans that are blooming now you'll have a second harvest coming.

I am a first-time cucumber

I am a first-time cucumber grower and have 4 vining plants in a raised bed with a trellis on my back patio. I live in Tampa,FL and planted these back in mid-March. The weather got very hot, very early this year and my plants are not thriving despite daily watering when soil is dry, fertilizing, and good composted soil. I am hand-pollinating, but have only gotten 3 cucumbers and now have what looks like powdery mildew on the leaves - using NEEM oil for that. Any advice on how to save these beautiful plants? I am so sad to see them in such a poor state.

Hi, Jamie, Cukes love heat.

Hi, Jamie,
Cukes love heat. One thing you write is concerning: daily watering. You might be drowning your plants. The surface soil might appear dry, but if you are watering daily, the soil at the root might be soaked. Another question that has to be asked: does you raised bed have good drainage? Too much water and bad drainage are a recipe for failure.
That said, powdery mildew is a common disease of cucurbit crops in Florida. Neem is recommended for powdery mildew, but use with caution. One resource suggests that it could be harmful to beneficial insects. Others also recommend removing infected leaves and allowing the plants to dry out.
In future, something to think about: try to grow disease-resistant plants.

Make sure that your plants

Make sure that your plants are well watered, but try watering earlier in the day rather than later. Water on the leaves later into the evening does not have a chance to dry, leaving the plant susceptible to fungus and pests. Try using 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 gallon of water for the powdery mildew. Spring this on the leaves as well as onto the roots of the plant will help to kill off the powdery mildew. You can also try putting 1 tablespoon of Epson salts into this mixture. Epson salt (magnesium sulfate), and it helps speed up plant growth, increase a plants nutrient uptake(such as nitrogen & phosphate), deter pests, increase flavor of fruit and veggies, plus increase the output of vegetation.

Dear Jamie, I live 2 hours

Dear Jamie,
I live 2 hours south of you in Naples. Growing cucumbers has been passion almost my entire life. I just love the plant!!! Although FL is not the right state to grow this beauty I've done everything in my power (and knowledge) to keep them healthy and fruitful. I can't ay I had been 100% successful although I have my own worm farm that produces fresh vermicompost year round. I always have organic fish fertilizer available as needed. For the insects (mainly white fly and powdery mildew) I have tried everything from NEEM OIL to soap and baking soda mixtures etc. Powdery mildew disappeared 2 years ago but almost nothing works for white fly unless you spend a lot of money on sticky fly traps. My main problem is to have all my baby cucumbers to turn to mature ones. Although at least 20-30 female flowers show up on each plant I am lucky if I can get 2-3 out of each plant. Believing this was a pollination problem and lack of bees I have invested on a no pollination required varieties. Problem is persistent. I am well aware of water, nutrition, pollination and aeration requirements of my plants. No problem there. You're saying you planted in March. This is the toughest season to grow veggies in FL as most will die in our hot summer. You can succeed with cucumbers using surround WF spray on leaves. That drops summer temps 15 degrees down and eliminates the powdery mildew. Product is available only commercial qty (50lbs) though. As the FL calendar suggests I mostly transplant my cucumbers in September. I am hoping to be more successful this year as I have improved my fertilizer quality and cucumber variety to heirloom. We'll see. Good luck.

I am in east Idaho and we

I am in east Idaho and we cant plant into garden till after labor day. I planted my cucumber seed in the house a week ago and the plants already have 3 leaves on them. How big can the cucumber be when I put them into the ground. I still have 6 weeks to go till end of may?

Transplant cucumbers 3 to 4

Transplant cucumbers 3 to 4 weeks after sowing indoors. They should be young and healthy plants, with 1 or 2 true leaves (not including the first set of leaves, called the cotyledons). Plant out only after last expected spring frost, and be sure to harden them off for about a week so that they get used to being outdoors. Cucumbers don't like their roots disturbed, so handle them very gently.
If your cucumbers are growing past the 2 true leaves and it isn't time yet to plant them out, keep them indoors until it is past frost--they are very susceptible to cold. Or, you might try employing season extension techniques, such as warming the soil with black plastic mulch, and then planting the hardened-off cucumbers there, with a plastic tunnel overhead to keep them in a warm atmosphere. Make sure they do not get near freezing--or too hot.

I work at a green house and

I work at a green house and we are having a problem with our cumbers. Plants are producing great. But in the last week our cumbers are getting sap like beads on flower end of cumber and rotting the tips. Very few plants have the same beads on leaves. The plants with affected leaf is wilting. We have over 300 plants and so far only about 25 plants are affected. Mostly to the back corners of green house. Is this due to Nematodes or not removing the flowers as the the fruit grows? Please help do not want this to take cover the green house. It is an organic fertilized nursery.

Based on your description,

Based on your description, there are two diseases which come to mind. 1) Gummy stem blight. Symptoms include sappy substance in any open wounds, wilted vines, and fruit with rotted rind. These plants would need to be destroyed; preventative fungicides could be used on the remaining plants. The problem is often caused by the seed source. Avoid watering the leaves; water at soil level. 2) Blossom-end rot: Symptoms are darkened rot on the end of the fruit where the flower was. The problem is caused by a lack of calcium in the soil which is often revealed with inconsistent watering and/or over-fertilization. We'd suggest you bring a sample to your local cooperative extension office for a diagnosis!

Hooked Cucumbers. My

Hooked Cucumbers. My Marketmore cukes started out producing beautifully and then they started getting fat on he blossom end and thin and hooked on the stem end. What has happened to my lovely straight cukes?

Hooked cucumbers aren't

Hooked cucumbers aren't uncommon and it's related to irrigation. Cucumbers need very consistent, regular water supply as well as ample moisture (about 1 to 2 inches of water per week), especially during the early blossoming and fruit development stages.

My cucumbers are growing to

My cucumbers are growing to about 2-3 inches in length then curling up like a coma and then either begin turning yellow from the top or the bottom. The fruits were normal to begin the season. They are grown in earthboxes and the leaves have very little insect damage. I fertilize weekly or biweekly with a foliar spray--spray and grow--and monthly give a little fish emulsion.

Fruitis notdeveloping

We were away on vacation, and

We were away on vacation, and when I returned, I found that several of my cucumbers had grown to about 9 inches long; they are also quite yellow in color. From a previous post I can predict that they will be bitter. Should I discard the overgrown cucumbers at this point, or can I use them for another purpose? Thank you for your help!

Yellow cucumbers are quite

Yellow cucumbers are quite inedible, however if you were seeds were of a heirloom variety and not a hybrid, you can cut the cucumber open and harvest the seeds for a future planting.

I have a plant that has

I have a plant that has already been produce large cucumbers. It's taking up so much space, am I able to put a trellis behind it down and encourage it to grow in it? Or will it end up hurting my plant?
Thanks!

Yes, you can train vining

Yes, you can train vining cucumbers to a trellis. Normally, you want to set up the trellis before planting but you can try to train the vines that are still growing.

I have an abundance of

I have an abundance of slicing cucumbers. They are delicious. Wondering if i can pickle them ?

Yes, slicing cucumbers are

Yes, slicing cucumbers are best for eating fresh, but they can also be used in canning. We've tried bread and butter pickles and they tasted great.

I am new to gardening living

I am new to gardening living in zone 8a. My cucumbers are doing really well but want to know if I can harvest smaller cucumbers for pickling or do I need to grow that type of cucumbers?

Congrats on growing cucumbers

Congrats on growing cucumbers successfully! Sure, you can harvest regular cucumbers at any size that you think you can use them. Keep in mind: cucumbers do grow very quickly--check every day once they get going!
You certainly don't want the cucumbers to get too big or they get bitter. They're too big if the end is getting yellow. Also, it helps to harvest them regularly to get more yield.

I have been getting a

I have been getting a cucumber or 2 off my plants every couple of days. My question is where should I store them until Im ready to slice. They tend to get
water loggeed in the refrigerator.Can I put them on the kitchen counter,

You'll want to store

You'll want to store cucumbers in a cool spot in in the kitchen in perforated plastic bags. Storage in refrigerator for a few days is okay but cucumbers will get water-soaked areas if chilled below 40°F. For best taste, eat them as quickly as you're able. Do not store with apples or tomatoes.

Keep it in a piece of cloth

Keep it in a piece of cloth in fridge

I am getting plenty of fruit

I am getting plenty of fruit from my plants, but they are all oddly shaped--large near the stem and skinny at the end. What could the problem be?

Some cucumber varieties just

Some cucumber varieties just have odd shapes, however, the usual reason is related to moisture. The soil needs to be consistently moist. Perhaps you had a dry spell or under/over-watered.

hi, i am a la sallian college

hi, i am a la sallian college student, an agriculturist. i am so excited on the outcome of our activity about cucumber. i really went to our field everyday just to care and protect our cucumber from pest such those cucumber beetles. hahahaha i even catch them and put them in bottles then preserved them for further experiment....
i hope that i will be succesful in this actiity!!! good day!!!!

i planted cucumbers first

i planted cucumbers first time this year ground perfect vines are beautifuly green, perfect blooms overabundant amount everywhere but no cucumbers i planted them like 2 1/2 months ago (its july here in south texas now) but for some reason i am not gettin any signs of cucumbers just lots of yellow flowers that come and go and rebloom is it to late in the year for them to produce?

i have even used mirical grow

i have even used mirical grow and still just blooms no cucumbers

the first year i started

the first year i started growing cucumbers and squash. two plants that have a male and female flower, i made the mistake of using miracle grow. miracle grow is high, to high in nitrogen, this causes a plant to over produce male flowers. the most important part to getting fruit is having bees, so be careful with any pesticides that harm bees. i suggest neem oil. if you examine your plants you should see some flowers that look like they have little minature cucumbers on them, those are the female, simply pull a male flower off, gently remove the petals and hand pollinate the female by touching the two flowers together

Very good info thank you

i would not use that, the

i would not use that, the plant grows to fast, with not so great results, use fish emulsion i did from arnprior ontario canada.

I've planted cucumbers and i

I've planted cucumbers and i have a bunch growing but they are staying light green / white. Why aren't they turning dark green?

Hi, I'm from Northern Va, I

Hi, I'm from Northern Va, I have cucumber seeds to plant, but I'm afraid it's too late in the season. Is it too late??

I have the most beautiful

I have the most beautiful cucumber vines growing and producing cucumbers, but oddly enough, I didn't plant any this year. These came up from the ones I planted in the same spot last year. We had one of the coldest winters ever here in Georgia. Is it common for cucumbers to come back?

Hi Tamm, It's not uncommon

Hi Tamm,
It's not uncommon that cucumbers will grow from seeds left in the soil from the previous year. The fruit may not be true to the parent plant and sometimes they don't flower at all.

mi m living in pakistan and i

mi m living in pakistan and i m sereaching for cucumber seed which can cultivate temperture 40 to 45 c, is there any cucumber hybrid in world which can perfarm at that temperture , if yes then where from can i get it. thanks

I had to replant my cucumbers

I had to replant my cucumbers and now they look all wilted and dead. Any advice?

Cucumbers do not like to be

Cucumbers do not like to be transplanted or moved. If you must transplant, you need to do it very early before the plant has true leaves and keep the entire root ball intact. Otherwise, they won't make it.

Groundhogs!! I just planted

Groundhogs!!

I just planted my cucumber plants and a groundhog ate all the leaves on them! Will it still produce? They are still small plants..

If you can keep the groundhog

If you can keep the groundhog away, the vine may still produce leaves (put not in the same places) and cukes. Relocating the animal by trapping and moving or driving it out of its den (hopefully not to a new one in the middle of your garden) is the preferred solution. Physical deterrence with a fence (buried) and/or screening (chicken wire over the top) sometimes works. Putting a human-smelling (hair, clothes) border around sometimes works, too, as does using other substances they might dislike. Sometimes. Good luck!

I bought some pregrown

I bought some pregrown cucumbers and when I went to plant the next day, the ground hog in our yard had eaten the leaves off the top. Will the leaves grow back and eventually produce cucs, or should I throw these plants in the compost and start over?

We have just planted our

We have just planted our first 2 cucumber plants ever. Soil meets the requirements you suggest and are in a sunny area. I put a fence around them to keep out ground hogs, cats and rabbits, but some thing has already eaten off most of the leaves after one day of being planted. Can you suggest anything.

can I plant cukes behind okra

can I plant cukes behind okra plants
so okra is trellis for them?

Hi Judy, It may work if you

Hi Judy,
It may work if you use a sturdy okra variety like Cowhorn. The only problem is that okra leaves are big and may shade the cucumber plants too much. It's worth a try and please let us know if it worked.

transplanted my cucumbers

transplanted my cucumbers into hoop house soil temp 50deg soil is mixture chicken manure compost peatmoss and topsoil even mixtures. soon after plants wilted and most have died remaining ones leaves have white edges and pail green color. Im guessing transplant shock plants where not hardened first?

Hi Randy, It's important to

Hi Randy,
It's important to harden off seedlings that have been started indoors. You can try direct seeding in the garden to see if that works. Or, start a new batch indoors and make sure to gradually move the seedlings outdoors.

Chicken manure is very high

Chicken manure is very high in nitrogen which is not good for cucumbers. Also, chicken manure must be composted before putting it around plants or it will "burn" them.

Hello from Mesa AZ. Planted

Hello from Mesa AZ. Planted my American seeds April 22nd in raised wind rows with soaker tape giving about 1/4 gal/day. All but 2 of my planting locations have 3-4" seedlings in them. Giving me about 80' worth of windrow with plants 18" apart. The soil is nice and damp but not muddy.Thinking the rate of water is fine since the temp should be rising to high 90's and stable triples soon. Would like to know what size trellis is best for them. I have a lot of 4" welded wire that is very strong. Please advise.
Thank you

I planted cucumber from seed.

I planted cucumber from seed. I live in Southern California. I have seedlings that have emerged and are about an inch tall. Before any other leaves could emerge, some of the original two leaves began to wilt. I'm watering them often in a raised plant bed. Some are okay but have now begun to form small amounts of yellow/white spots on them.

I have another cucumber plant near the seedlings that has sprung 5-6 leaves but the leaves are getting brown and crusty. The plant isn't wilting so I don't think it's an issue with water. Additionally, on some of the leaves of this older plant have holes in them. To the touch, they are very crunchy. I worry about the health of my young plants. What should I do?

It sounds like your cucumbers

It sounds like your cucumbers are getting too much water. You should not water cucumber plants from overhead, it is better to soak the ground around the bottoms of the plants.

Hi, Can you please address

Hi,
Can you please address the method of harvesting?

My cuke plants are healthy, tendrils are wrapping securely and they are flowering/getting pollinated. The fruit is gorgeous, but it does not actually have a spot that detaches the fruit from the vine, like tomatoes and squash do. Am I just supposed to cut it? I don't want to expose my plants to potential pests!

Thank you

I twist my cukes at their

I twist my cukes at their base and then tug gently, and they come right off. Although, having a pair of scissors that I use just for the garden is good, because my okra, for instance, really are easier to cut off because their stems are so woody.

Frist time grower.I planted

Frist time grower.I planted my cucumber by seed about 8 weeks ago. About 20 plants came up and they are about 8 inches tall with lots of green leaves but have never produced any flowers.Could there be to many plants in one space????

Hi Dinah, We suggest that

Hi Dinah,
We suggest that when seedlings are about 4 inches tall to thin them so that they are 1½ feet apart. If the plants are healthy you should see flowers soon.

What do you mean by "thin

What do you mean by "thin them" this will be my second time gardening. My first garden was nothing but tomatoes and was a huge success. Now i would like to try other vegetables and cucumbers is one of them.

thank you!

Usually, you plant extra

Usually, you plant extra seeds because all of the seeds will not germinate. However, once the seedlings grow, you may have too many for the space. You need to remove the extra ones so that the plants are properly spaced. Otherwise, the cucumbers will be too crowded and they will fight for nutrients and not grow well. To thin, pinch or snip off the excess seedlings. Ideally, you want to keep the seedlings that look stronger and thin the weak ones.

I am growing cucumber here in

I am growing cucumber here in the Phils for 3 years.the leaves have many yellow spotted.i put fertilizer every week which is Urea 6kls/drum dessolved water.each plant i put 1 can of sardines.can u gave me more tips or ideas?tnx

looking to start a

looking to start a hydroponics/aquaculture garden, I assumed sense cucumbers are mostly water they would do well with no soil. what do you think?

Crops that can grow compactly

Crops that can grow compactly and great for hydroponic gardens. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and bush beans are great choices. For your first time, you might want to avoid corn, zucchini, summer squash, and melons.

I am a cucumber farmer in

I am a cucumber farmer in Nigeria I planted like 5 acres. In your write up you said something about "Spray vines with sugar water to attract bees and set more fruit. Do you mean someone can add sugar into water and spray the farm so that I can attract polinating insect like bees"

Best advice have had.very

Best advice have had.very informative. Many thanks. Very greatfull.

My cucumber plant has

My cucumber plant has flowered but it still has not given fruit.(I give them plenty of water and they have lots of sun). What may be the problem, and what should I do?

Hi Sem, You have pollination

Hi Sem, You have pollination issues. Either you don't have enough pollinating insects right now or it's a timing thing with too many male flowers opening. The male flower has to pollinate the female flower (which are the ones with the swelling beneath the flower).What to do: You can hand pollinate by moving the male flower to the female blooms.

How many pounds per week, per

How many pounds per week, per plant and for how long to the cucumber plants can produce?

I live in zone 8b when is the

I live in zone 8b when is the best time to plant the cucumbers?

Plant seed after the danger

Plant seed after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. In zone 8, you can often plant in early April but check your frost dates. The soil should be 70 °F and no lower than 50 °F for seeds to germinate. You could get a cheap soil thermometer to check the temps of your soil.

how long is the growing

how long is the growing season in The midwest.. I have had a good crop but leaves are turning yellow....

The length of the growing

The length of the growing season will depend on your local climate. You can find the number of days in the growing season of several large cities, plust the expected frost dates, at this page:

http://www.almanac.com/content...

For further information by state, see:

http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-b...

Or, you might try contacting your county's Cooperative Extension, as they should have the best data for your local area. For contact information, see:

http://www.almanac.com/content...

my plants are dying i have

my plants are dying i have alot of havesting that have been done with them .. im in canada and its all trail an error this year .. but is there a time when the harvesting is done an that plant it self dies off >.

Cucumbers like warmth. When

Cucumbers like warmth. When the weather gets cooler, they may deteriorate until frost hits and stops them completely. They may also die off due to other cultural stresses such as too hot/too much direct sun, too much water, too little water, not enough soil nutrients, etc. Diseases or insects can also cause the plants to die.

Cucumbers will also stop producing and die off if their fruit is allowed to mature fully--keep on picking, and don't allow any cucumbers to turn large and yellow.

Cucumber wilt (bacterial)

Cucumber wilt (bacterial) disease kills cucumber plants -- quickly! The bacteria are transmitted by cucumber beetles. In my area (TN and NC), we lose plants consistently by mid season. Plants wilt and dry up. Spraying to kill beetles in the home garden might provide some protection. Early death of squash/pumpkins is usually attributable to squash vine borers.

I started 5 White Wonder

I started 5 White Wonder cukes for myself, and 4 more for my friend at the same time back about June 25th. They started out looking like they were doing OK, so we planted his in a nice sunny well watered area of his garden, and I planted mine in a nice partly sunny, well watered area of my garden area. His cukes after transplanting have produced 3 good sized cukes, and the vines are about 3 to 4 feet long now after 60+ days, and are just starting to really look like they will be producing more. Mine on the other hand seem to have gone totally berserk and have taken over a significant portion of my garden area!!! His 4 vines are nice and single tipped and 3 feet or so in length, my longest vine is currently over 8 (eight) feet in length, and has split into 5 vines of about 3 to 5 feet each, and ALL 5 original plantings are doing it!!! I currently have had to install trellising for 20 vines, and just found another one sneaking around for a total of 21 vines coming out of 5 plants in the ground. They are EXTREMELY prolific in their formation of cukes, and are forming an average of 2 to 3 cukes per internode, with as many as 5 to 6 in some instances. I have harvested 6 cukes off of mine already, and have another 15 to 20 that should be ready to harvest in the next 7 to 10 days, and if half of the rest of the fruit all set I should have about 50 to 60 or so in the next 14 to 21 days by my estimates, and up to about 100 to 120 at the maximum. I was just wondering if my cuke vines are normal for splitting up into so many extra vines and producing so much, or if his are more typical at producing about 6 to 8 cukes per 3 to 4 foot vine without the vine splitting up all over the place? I can provide pictures upon request to document my Amazon Cuke Vines. I have friends who are happy to get some, plus I will be making brine pickles, and some vinegar pickles too, so they will definitely all be put to use, but if I have that many next year I may as well start a fruit stand!!! So basically it is this: Are my vines freakishly huge and over producing monsters that are trying to take over my entire garden/diet. Or are my friend 3 to 4 foot moderate producers more the norm for White Wonder cukes?

'White Wonder' is an heirloom

'White Wonder' is an heirloom variety that Burpee introduced commercially in 1893, after a customer from NY state gave them a sample. Gardeners say that this is a very prolific plant, and some mention its many branches, so it looks like yours are normal. The difference between your plants and your friend's could be the lighting (it is possible for cucumbers to get too much sun, although this variety tolerates heat well) and the difference in soils and fertilizer. You might be interested in the reviews from other gardeners who have grown this Burpee introduction:
http://reviews.burpee.com/1031...

According to the answers

According to the answers you've given, I've over-fertilized my cucumbers with nitrogen. They were producing very nicely and I applied nitrogen. Now the leaves are yellowish and they have quit putting on blossoms. Is there anyway to flush out the nitrogen?

If the nitrogen is from a

If the nitrogen is from a chemical source, you can not really "undo" fertilizer at this point, especially a fast-release water-soluble type. You could do a good flush of the soil, but don't over do it; that could stress the plants, too. The plants will adapt with time if they can.

I've been growing my

I've been growing my cucumbers here in Texas & the temperatures have been well into the mid 100's! I only have produced 1 cucumber, but have lots of blossoms. How hot can cucumbers stand to grow in the sun?

You can reduce the amount of

You can reduce the amount of heat hitting the plants with shade cloth. Using mulch will increase the amount of water that stays in the soil and misting with cool water will increase the humidity around the leaves.

Hi, I live in Cape Cod.

Hi, I live in Cape Cod. Always had a prosperous garden. This year I'm living in an apartment on the 3rd floor. Do you think it's too late to plant cucumbers in BUCKETS? I have tomatoes growing in buckets and so found out that I'm not giving them enough water. Please let me know if it's too late for the cukes and I'll get a trellis and stick it in the bucket so the leaves won't be on the soil. thanks a million.
Jeffrey

In most regions, you'd want

In most regions, you'd want to plant cucumbers in early July. This produces a September harvest. However, check the seed packets for the "days to maturity" and see if there is a faster-growing variety. Also, make sure that the seed packet says whether or not the cucumber variety is suited for container growing. Some container varieties are: Salad Bush Hybrid, Bush Champion, Picklebush, Spacemaster, Hybrid Bush Crop, and Midget Bush Pickler.

Hi first time grower. I have

Hi first time grower. I have had a hand full of cucumbers grow and delicious. But once i picked they seem to stop growing. I see the flowers and small little cucumbers. Then the flower falls off and the little cucumber truns yellow then white the it dries out. Then more grow. Right now i have two very skinny green bout 4inch cucumbers. What is going on? Plz help.

Picking your harvest usually

Picking your harvest usually keeps fruit production going, not stopping. When cucumber fruit doesn't keep growing, the most common reason is that you had low pollinating insect activity at the time due to weather conditions. Or, if you do not have a lot of bees to pollinate, you can self-pollinate by brushing the pollen-coated stamen of the male flower onto the center of the female flower (the one with the bulb or ovary at the bottom) or use a Q-tip if you do not want to pick the male flower. Pollinate in the morning when both male and female bloosm are open. Good luck!

I have the same issue. Could

I have the same issue. Could this also be from not pruning the plant when it was initially growing? I have cucumber plants that are about 3 feet tall and I didn't prune the bottom in the beginning. Can I still prune the bottom even thought it is 3 feet tall now? I've read that if you prune the bottom it helps to give a bigger harvest through out the growing season.

Bitter cucumbers!!! They are

Bitter cucumbers!!! They are 6in.+... Been told they might have been left on the vine too long Or maybe not long enough. They are also light yellow/white in the middle & light green to green on the ends.

As stated above, bitter

As stated above, bitter cucumbers are usually due to inconsistent watering, especially low moisture. Water slowly in the morning or early afternoon, avoiding the leaves. During dry periods, water 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water in a single application. Apply a mulch, such as straw, shredded bark or newspaper to cool the soil and conserve moisture. You can also plant bitter-free cultivars.
Often (but not always), cutting off the stem-end and removing the skin of bitter cukes will remove much of the bitterness.

We had placed newspapers down

We had placed newspapers down with straw on top. We watered as we placed the papers & straw. We also have not had to water much because of the cool rainy weather we have had. So lack of moisture is not the cause of the bitterness.

Cukes are part of the

Cukes are part of the Cucurbit family that naturally produces chemicals called cucurbitacins, which are very bitter. Stress is normally the cause of the bitterness to come out in cucumbers. If the temperatures have been consistently uneven or extremely hot, this can cause bitterness.

Our cucumbers are in a

Our cucumbers are in a plastic window box pot. We even put a trelis up for them. We water every day. They haven't climbed the trelis & now the leaves look like they have a white powder on them. What should we do?

Your cucumbers have powdery

Your cucumbers have powdery mildew fungi. Clip out leaves that show early spotting. For an organic solution, a milk spray works very well. There are also organic fungicidal sprays. Ask your garden center. It's also good make use of resistant varieties of cucumbers which make it difficult for powdery mildew to enter the leaves.

I live in Houston I planted

I live in Houston I planted my cucumber seeds in early June now the plants are growing very well . Will the growing period available be sufficient for me to harvest cucumbers?

How long to plants tend to

How long to plants tend to take to mature? I'm thinking about starting some plants for a late harvest. It will still be in the 70s at least for another 3 months in Alabama. Right now it's in the 90s. Will they do well in the heat for early fall cucumbers?

Cucumbers are ready for

Cucumbers are ready for harvest 50 to 70 days from planting, depending on the variety. In Alabama, July 1-20 are planting dates for a fall harvest. Good timing!

How can you tell the

How can you tell the difference between male and female flowers?

The female flower is the one

The female flower is the one with a bulbish shape (ovary) at the base and short stem. The male has a long, slender stem. The female flowers are larger.

well, male flowers have a

well, male flowers have a couple things popping out of the middle with pollen on it and female flowers have one thing popping out of the middle with a weird bulb thing that collects the pollen from male plants. But some plants can be both male and female so they have both.

I planted some cucumbers on

I planted some cucumbers on the 2nd of June and live in Florida, the plant is doing well after a few transplants because of limited container space. It's growing about 2 1/2 inches to 3 inches every night after watering but no blooms still, when should I expect blooms?

Are you growing a cucumber

Are you growing a cucumber variety that has both female and male flowers? (Or, are you growing a special variety that doesn't need pollination)? Most varieties need pollination between the female and male flowers--and that means bees--unless you wish to hand pollinate. Most bush types mature in about 50 days. You might see the male flower after 30 to 35 days and the female flower 10 days after that. It depends on the variety.

Hi my cucumber plant is

Hi my cucumber plant is growing in the window right now, should I move it outside so it can be polinated? (I don't know how to polinate) also, some of the bottom leaves are dying, is that an indication of not enough sunlight?

We only seed indoors to get a

We only seed indoors to get a 2 or 3 week jump on the season. Once the soil is above 60 degrees F, you really should be seeding or growing outside. You can transplant your cuke and also try starting some new seeds. Just push 2 or 3 seeds an inch into the soil, spacing the plantings 18 to 36 inches apart. If the soil is moist and warm, the seedlings will pop out of the ground in a matter of days.

I planted cucumber seeds

I planted cucumber seeds about three weeks ago. About fifteen in a cup as the directions told me so but they all came up and after growing to about seven inches tall with 2 leaves overnight they all wilted. That day I got a large deep pot and transplanted all of them added a little plant food. About five perked up overnight and looked good. The second day, all but one is now laying on the soil. I dont know what to do.

Damping off, a fungal

Damping off, a fungal disease, is a problem with young cucumber seedlings. Make sure your pots and soil are sterile and plant just a few seeds in a cup. For watering room temperature water is best and keep the soil just moist. Watering from the bottom sometimes helps. Air circulation is also important. Keep a small fan in the room if needed. Thin seedlings if they seem to be crowded in the cup or pot. Good luck!

My plants are growing in a

My plants are growing in a container and up a trellis. I had several male flowers, no females for a couple weeks. For about a week, I have no flowers, but the plant itself is growing wildly. The heat in my area has gotten about 5-10 degrees hotter recently. The other day I moved container out of direct light, to protect the leaves from scorching. It gets filtered light through a sunscreen. My concern is the lack of flowering, is this something to be concerned about?

Have you been fertilizing the

Have you been fertilizing the plants? Too much nitrogen can stimulate lots of growth but no flowers. Cucumbers do need full sun so you may want to move the container back where it was. A normal cucumber plant will produce 10 to 20 male flowers for every female. Hopefully by now you may have some more blossoms.

How do you hand pollinate

How do you hand pollinate cucumbers?

Hand pollinate early in the

Hand pollinate early in the morning--and only with freshly-opened blooms. Break off a male bloom, remove its petals and roll the pollen onto the stigma in the center of the female flower. You can also use a paintbrush to transfer the pollen from male to female. The female flower is the one with a bulbish shape (ovary) at the base and short stem. The male has a long, slender stem. The female flowers are larger.

I bought some beautiful

I bought some beautiful cucumber plants and put them by my watering hose so I would make sure to water. I still forgot and they wilted. I watered them and they came back but now they have brown spots on a lot of the leaves. Can I pinch the bad leaves off without harming the plant. Will they still grow if I plant them??

Brown spots on leaves

Brown spots on leaves indicate a disease called anthracnose or Alternaria leaf spot. It can be controlled with chlorothalonil sprays applied every 10 to 14 days. Speak to your garden center.

transpants

How long does it take for transplants to spring? I planted them a week ago, nothing is happening.

Keep in mind that cucumbers

Keep in mind that cucumbers need warm soil and constant water supply to germinate. You need a temperature range of 75 degrees to 80 degrees F during the day. At this optimum soil temperature, the seeds will take 7 to 10 days to germinate.

Baby cukes dying

My little cukes are dying before they barely start growing. They only make it about an inch long. I've not had this happen before. What am I doing wrong?

This usually happens when you

This usually happens when you seed in dirt instead of sterile or pasteurized potting soil. It's known as "damping-off." Use the proper medium and be careful not to overwater. Give them lots of light and make sure they're not too crowded so they get air circulating. Good luck!

leaves are turning yellow

i recentyly planted some cucumber plants and they are now turning yellow can you tell me what im doing wrong and what i can do to prevent this from happening

Avoid watering the leaves

roots

I want to transplant my seedlings into a long growing box that can be mounted on my deck rail. How deep do I need the box to be to sufficiently hold the root sytem?

Roots

Build a frame and have a sheet of tin at the bottom. Then fill it with whatever soil you are using.

The recommended size for

The recommended size for cucumbers is:
20" wide, 16" deep with soil volume of 4-5 gallons per plant. Cucumbers have deep root systems and aren't the best choice for shallow boxes. Here are some varieties that do well in containers: Sweet Success, Suyo, Salad Bush, Bush Slicer, Burpless, Liberty, Early Pik, Salty and Crispy.

cucumber care

I sod the seed and it germinated in three days. Its been a week and the plant is two inches tall with two leaves. I am keeping it indoors in a small pot. I plan to move it outdoors in two week in a planter. My question is it looks very thin and when I water it, it tilts to one side. Is that ok?

Your plants may not be

Your plants may not be getting enough sunlight. They grow best in full sun and after about two weeks of sun and proper watering they should look a whole lot better.

bitter cukes

How should I adjust my soil and watering to avoid the dreaded bitter cuke?

To avoid bitterness, provide

To avoid bitterness, provide 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water in a single application, especially during dry/drought periods. Apply mulch to retain moisture. Plant cultivars that are listed as being bitter-free in the garden catalogs. Examples: Carmen, County Fair, Diva, Green Knight, Sweet Slice, Sweet Success and Tasty Green.

New to this

I am planting for the first time this year. I just want pickling cucumbers is there a certain seed that is best for my dill pickles.

Look for varieties that have

Look for varieties that have "pickling" in the name. Most mail order sources have a section for pickling cucumbers. Pick the cucumbers when small, don't let them grow longer than 4-5 inches.

Cucumbers with bulb shapes on bottom

My cucumbers grew well but then started to grow into a bulb shape with the goodness dropping into the bulb and the top thin. When cut the seeds were very big.
Why has this happened.

This sounds like a

This sounds like a pollination problem. Next time, try growing plants that attract bees along with your cucumbers. Or you can try to pollinate the cucumbers yourself.

Cucumbers

How much water do we need for the to grow

Water cucumbers deeply,

Water cucumbers deeply, applying 1 to 2 inches per week unless weather is especially dry. Cucumbers need good drainage and shouldn't be watered from above. Carefully water at soil level with a hose so as to not get any water splashing on the foliage.

Can I eat a yellow cucumber?

My cucumbers turned yellow, can they be eaten. Went on vacation and they grew without me, and when I came back they were yellow and very long. Can they be eaten? Are they safe?

No, do not eat the yellow

No, do not eat the yellow cucumbers. They are over-ripe and should be discarded or added to your compost pile.

vey tough skin

My cukes are about 8" long but from the very first one I harvested the skins are so thick they are impossible to chew. This is the first time this has happened - what could it be?

Sometimes it depends on the

Sometimes it depends on the variety. Cucumber skins can be smooth and thin, or thick and rough.

Mishapen Cucumbers

I am growing Chicago pickling cucumbers but almost all of the cucumbers are mishapen ; either fairly straight or with a sharp bend in them with the part of the cucumber that is past half way or the is shriveled up and skinny. The plants are in full sun but about 5 feet from a lilac hedge. Is there anything I can do ?

Misshapen fruit usually

Misshapen fruit usually happens from incomplete pollination. The bees need to return and again and again. Sometimes, the later fruits will be a proper shape. In terms of the "shriveled" issue: If the female flowers bloom before there are male flowers to supply pollen, they will dry up or produce small fruits that drop off and die. Again, this is often corrected later in the season once the both flowers are blooming and there is plenty of pollination. Lack of pollination can be related to lack of pollinators (i.e., bees) or some rainy, interruptive weather. You can always hand pollinate.

yellow cukes

SOme of my cucmbers are thin, green, and yummy. I harevested some LARGE YELLOW cukes. Are they safe to eat? Cut one open, lookes like normal cucumger in the middle)

If your cukes are yellow—and

If your cukes are yellow—and they are not supposed to be (they are not a yellow variety, such as "lemon cucumbers"), they are probably overripe: the chlorophyll that makes them green has begun to fade. The color may also signal a virus or that they had too much water. Examine the plant for other signs of disease and/or consider your recent watering habit and the weather. Yellow cukes may look fine, but they are likely to be bitter tasting. By the way, a cuke that has little yellow on the bottom portion that gets little sunlight is probably okay. We hope this helps! –Almanac editors

Pale, skinless cucumbers?

My cucumber plant has started to produce very pale cucumbers with a slight hairy, furry light green skin as well as the normal cucumbers with the original dark shiny skin. Why is this happening?! Th pale ones are ok to eat, they are just sweeter and denser then the normal ones.

pale cucumbers

A yellow cucumber is usually over ripe. But a pale cucumber can also be caused by a virus, too much water, or a nutrient imbalance. Try adding some aged manure or compost to the soil around the plants.

help

My cucumber plant is growing tall. have little ones but they don't seem to grow any bigger then 2 inches, do I need to prune the plant? this is growing in pots

help

Cucumbers depend on water and you need to make sure they get a consistent level of moisture. Your pots may be too small to retain the water. Consider transplanting to bigger pots. Cucumbers are also heavy feeders. Add a diluted liquid fish emulsion every other week during the growing season.

Cucumbers

I have planted cucumbers in past years before and never had a problem. This year we planted in wooden garden boxes 8'x4'x2'. We have cucumbers in one half of the box and cantalope in the other half of the box. We have let the plants grow out of the box, but have kept both plants from growing into each other. My plants flowered and grew nicely, but now that the fruit is on the vine the cucumbers are extremely skinny, long, and wrinkly. Do you know why this may be? Thanks for any input.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers need a lot of water. Make sure to water often and add mulch around your plants to keep the moisture in the soil. The wooden garden boxes may dry out quickly in hot weather. Add compost or fertilizer to provide nutrients that the growing cucumbers need.

cucumber leaves

4-6 week since planting, there are large leaves but no flowers, I was told I should be clipping the leaves to shock the plant into flowering, Is this correct?

You’ll want to keep the

You’ll want to keep the leaves; they make food for the plant. As for pruning, you do not need to do any if you have a bush cucumber. If you have a vining cucumber that will be trained on a trellis, then pruning is a way to encourage yield and quality fruit. In this case, allow the plant to grow until it forms about 6 or 7 leaves on the main stem. A node is where the leaves connect to the stem. At these nodes, there can also be tendrils, a side shoot (also called a growth point, sucker, or lateral shoot), and a flower or fruit. At the first 5 or 6 nodes counting up from the base of the plant, pinch off the side shoot. [Side shoots are vining branches that grow off the main stem, and will form their own leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.] Also, remove any flowers as they develop on these 5 to 6 lower nodes. Many growers allow just one flower to form on the upper nodes, as well. Depending on the training system, side shoots on the upper nodes are either allowed to grow along a wire or other support, or removed so that there is just one vertical stem.

CUCUMBERS

MY PLANTS ARE GROWING WILD,SHOULD I CLIP TOP LEAVES SO THEY STOP GROWING?SO THE CUCUMBER GETS ALL THE NUTIRANTS?

Cucumbers

You can prune the lateral shoots, but do keep the main stem. You may want to do this several times during the growing season.

help

I have a lot of flowers, healthy vines, more bees this year than last but no cucumbers. Any that have formed on two different plants are small & uneven in growth. How do you tell the difference between male & female flowers ?

Female flowers are swollen at

Female flowers are swollen at the base. This swell is the ovary and a tiny pickle. Note that the early flowers are males so sometimes it's just a question of patience. Both flowers need to be available to bees at the same time without fluky weather interference. Here are pictures of female and male flowers if it helps:
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fr...

pickling cucumbers

The dirt around my plants is starting to turn green, what does this mean? Another question is how long should they continue to produce?

One crop should produce fruit

One crop should produce fruit for about 5 to 6 weeks. The more you pick, the more the vines will produce. Growing vertically increases your yield, too. In terms of the green color of your soil, has it been very wet? Are you using a soluable fertilizer? We'd advise that you add organic matter such as compost and organic mulch to improve your soil.

my cucumber are small

My cucumber have flowered, both male and female, but they are not getting big. Each of them are only getting about 2-3 in long, they look like a gherkin pickle, what should I do?

If you're fertilizing, back

If you're fertilizing, back off. If you're watering, be sure it's consistent and at the base of the plants, not overhead. Ensure the plants get 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. Otherwise, it's often a pollination issue. You need to plenty of bees which also do not get deterred by fickle weather. You could always hand pollinate. The good news is that cucumbers for pickling should be picked when they are short: 2 to 4 inches long!

Patio Gardner

I live in an apartmen started my seeds first of june. Seen pictures of cucumber plants growing up bamboo shutes. An what size container should i use for root growth?

There are "vine" cucumbers

There are "vine" cucumbers and bush types. Bush types take up less room and are great for containers. If you have a vine type, you'll need a vertical trellis for the vine to climb--a bamboo trellis would work. In terms of size pot, 1 cucumber needs 1 gallon container. Here's a great source to help you grow your cucumbers and any vegetables in containers: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu...

dying plants

my plants are green and hardy at the tops but at the base, leaves are turning brown and falling off. Some leaves are very crunchy and some have white spots on them. I was told I had aphids but I've treated with a soap and water mixture and it's not gotten any better. And I've not seen 1 bug. So what is happening to my plants? I'm watering every day right now because it's been REALLY hot but I normally water every other day. I would guess they are dry but they started looking like this when the season was cooler and wet. This happened last year too - Help!

Sounds like your plant has

Sounds like your plant has powdery mildew.

Try treating with a safe fungicide. To prevent it in the future, try a slow-release fertilizer and make sure they get good sun.

rust on cucumber plants

Is it ok to pick them whem leaves are wet from dew?

For disease control, avoid

For disease control, avoid picking cucumbers when wet. Also, be sure to water at base of plant and try not to let water splash on leaves. And ensure your plants have good air circulation.

Container Cucumbers

I live in TN, and we had a very early spring so I planted my cucumbers in late March..(in a container) when I started harvesting them, they were great..I was getting at least three a day. but, now that its getting super hot, my cucumbers are turning yellow at the top before they even get 3 in long, and they are very bitter. I have been watering them twice a day (if I don't, the leaves get very wilted)so, I'm wondering what has happened? also, I'm not getting as many. Have they reached their peak?

Cucumbers usually need 1 inch

Cucumbers usually need 1 inch of water each week. The usual reasons for yellow cucumbers are: too much watering, nutrient imbalance, or a virus. In terms of bitterness, this can happen in dry weather. Bitterness also due to the way you eat cucumbers. To minimize their "bite," remove the skin and trim both stem and blossom ends. Scooping the seeds and seed membrane from the center also results in milder-tasting cucumbers. European (or English) cucumbers do not need such treatment; they may be served skin and all.

Lateral Shoots On Cucumbers Please Identify? Newbie to Growing

Please I need help in Identifying Lateral shoots on cucumbers

For climbing cucumbers on a

For climbing cucumbers on a trellis, the side shoots form right where the cucumbers form at the joint of the main stem. Keep the plant to one stem by pruning off all the lateral shoots that appear. Be ruthless as it will keep trying to send out lateral shoots everywhere; it's a daily task. Wait until the vine has 7 leaves before you start.
If you a bush variety of cucumber (picking types), you do not need to prune.

don't see any flower

first time growing cucumbers,growing nice big green leaves and i am growing them upward getting nice and tall too. but i do not see any flowers yet. how long before i will see flowers

It may vary but about flowers

It may vary--I'd say flowers form after three weeks. Male blooms are usually first. They may drop off. A week or two later, you'll see female flowers (differentiated by a cucumber-shaped bulb at the base).

Removing first cucumbers

I am growing cucumbers in my greehouse and read that I should remove the first small fruits until the plants are at least 4 feet high. At this point, my plants are only about 8- 10" which means I'll be doing a lot of plucking. Is this something you suggest?

Hadn't heard this. You want

Hadn't heard this. You want to let the fruit develop and pick your cucumbers when they're at the right size -- which depends on the variety. For slicing varieties: 6 to 8 inches long. For pickles: they can be no more than 2 inches long. Once they start producing, the fruit grows quickly so expect to harvest every day or every other day.

Anonymous

Ideally, how long after the cucumber seeds germinate should I expect them to begin producing vines?

Usually cucumber seedlings

Usually cucumber seedlings start producing vines after they have their second set of leaves.

sun requirements?

I see I'm not the only one who has started my cucumber seeds. I thought I had started mine a little early by mistake but they're indoors.. This is the first garden I've grown by myself and I see nothing about sun requirements for cucumbers. I assume it is full sun. Any tips?

Yes, cucumbers need full sun

Yes, cucumbers need full sun to grow well. They are a subtropical crop and love plenty of sun and long warm days plus balmy nights. If you don't have a long season, there are some newer varieties for shorter seasons.

Where are my seedlings

I sowed heirloom Beit Alpha Cucumbers and Armenian cucumbers March 12th as well as grey zucchini and lakota squash. The squash and zucchini are up, but still no sign of the cucumbers and they are getting the same amount of sun and water. I planted them according to 1 inch depth. Should I reseed now to see if I can get some to come up?

cucumber seeds

The cucumber seeds need nice warm soil to germinate. They may still come up when the soil gets warmer. You can start some seeds in pots indoors in case you need to fill in a few spots in the garden.

seedings

I've started my seed indoors now they are coming up very lanky. How can I make them put on more leaves and compact? Or do I just let them grow long stems?

indoor seeds

If these seeds are indoors, then the seedlings stretch for the sunlight. Most likely cause is not enough sunlight. Repotting the seedlings in bigger pots and maybe adding a grow light will help. The seeds may be better planted directly in the garden when the soil has warmed up.

lanky stalks

The biggest issue with starting seeds indoors is the need for artificial light or a lighted windowsill. when the plants grow under natural sunlight they stop shooting up thin and thicken out but the leaves are reaching for the light and are staying long to find it. best thing to do is get it in the light or start over with a 4' flourescent over the bed with blue light it reflects spring time and will help too

Lots of flowers, no fruit

I am growing "lemon cucumbers", a heirloom. The plants could not look any healthier, strong,good color and full of flowers, but the flowers die off and I get no fruit. Any feedback on why this is happening.

Lemon Cucumbers

Planted lemon cuts last year they did great. It takes weeks for the bees to find the plants. Once you see the bees you will see the fruit. This variety will produce a huge plant so prepare for the space. It will also produce a lot of cucumbers.