How fast cucumbers grow

If they get much larger than this, they'll be bitter and won't have a pleasant texture. When you pick cucumbers, leave a small, one-inch section of stem attached to the cucumber. This prevents the stem end from rotting in storage if you won't be using the cucumber right away. The easiest way to do this, and the least stressful for the plant, is to cut the cucumber off the vine with a sharp knife or pruners.

If you twist or pull on the vine, the plant can be damaged. Wear gloves when you harvest cucumbers. Some of them, particularly pickling varieties, are prickly. If the cucumbers have a lot of spines, remove them by rubbing a cloth or a soft vegetable brush along the length of the fruit. The burpless varieties of cucumbers are susceptible to bruising. Some people leave cucumbers on the vine and let them grow as large as they can, but the flavor is better if they are harvested earlier.

Picking the cucumbers as soon as they are ready encourages the plant to produce longer into the season. To extend the season:. You can keep cucumbers in the refrigerator for about a week, but the flavor is best soon after you pick them. Pickling cucumbers will last a bit longer. Refrain from storing your cucumbers in plastic bags or lidded containers.

Keep them directly in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator or in an open container with a paper towel to collect excess moisture. South Dakota State University Extension. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Cucumbers are notorious for their need for high soil fertility, and boosting the dirt's nutritional content before planting hastens plant development.

Spread black plastic mulch over the bare surface of the soil. Apply the mulch one week before the last frost date in your region. The mulch heats up the soil temperature, and higher temperatures reduce the amount of time it takes for the cucumber seeds to germinate by approximately seven days.

Plant the cucumber seeds once the last frost date in your region has passed. If you're growing more than one cucumber plant, space them apart by a foot. Water the soil every day to maintain consistently moist soil conditions to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, watching for signs of germination.

Cucumber seed germination takes just three days in soil temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, but approximately 10 days or longer in cooler soil conditions. Thus, the black plastic tarp plays a crucial role in quick cucumber production. When planting cucumbers, simply seed 5 to 10 radish seeds on the edges of your mounds. The seeds germinate fast, and will help stave away the beetles. See: Companion Planting Cucumbers, much like tomatoes and peppers, can easily develop soil borne disease when planted in the same space year after year.

Rotate your crop to a new location in the garden each season. This allows the soil to recover, minimizes disease, and reduces the possibility for long-term infestation. For best results, wait at least three years before rotating back to plant cucumbers in the same location. Once cucumber plants begin to grow and produce, they need to be picked on a regular basis to continue to produce. When overloaded with a harvest, plants will instead put their energy towards making existing fruit larger, and not into producing new blooms.

In addition, cucumbers left on the vine too long will become woody, full of seeds, and bitter. A bit of slow and steady fertilizing can help to keep plants producing as well. Apply a light dose of compost tea or organic fertilizer ever 2 weeks until plants begin to form their first cucumbers. Once they begin to fruit, fertilizing can cease. Product Link : Dr. There you have it, seven huge secrets for growing cucumbers successfully.

Now get out there and grow your best crop ever! As always, feel free to email us at thefarm owgarden. To receive our 3 Home, Garden, Recipe and Simple Life articles each week, sign up for our free email list that is located in the middle of this article. This article may contain affiliate links.