Squash & cucumbers
Cucumber
Trellis to save space.
- Indoors
- 3 wk in peat pots (late Apr)
- Outside
- Direct after frost, late May
- Where
- Raised bed or in ground
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Every 3 to 4 days in July; keep it even, at the base
- Harvest
- 50 to 70 days, pick young
Care
- Water
- Every 3 to 4 days in July and August, every 5 to 7 in spring and fall. A long soak into the soil until the top few inches are damp, never onto the leaves, since splashed foliage spreads disease. Keep it even, since drought in a hot spell can turn the fruit bitter.
- Sow
- 1 to 2 seeds a half inch deep per peat pot, kept to the stronger. Set the plants 12 inches apart in rows 5 to 6 feet, a trellis in from day one so the vines climb and the leaves dry fast.
- Start inside
- Mat at 85F; the roots resent disturbance, so peat pots planted whole. Sprouts fast in that warmth, off the mat as soon as it does, then under the lights 14 to 16 hours. Outside once the soil holds 70F, late May, and move them out before they outgrow the pot.
- Feed
- A shovel of compost or castings worked in at planting starts the bed. Once the vines run, a fish and seaweed liquid feed every 2 weeks keeps them going. Steady water counts for more than a heavy hand with feed here, so keep it modest.
- Ready
- Pick young and firm, before the skin toughens or color yellows; a straggler left to swell signals the plant to ease off. Snip the stem rather than yank, since the vine roots at its joints and rough handling tears them.
- Trouble
- Vine wilts and collapses within days: bacterial wilt spread by cucumber beetles, incurable, so pull and bin it before it reaches the next plant. Bitter fruit in hot dry weather: cucurbitacin from drought stress, water evenly and mulch, then peel the stem end. White dust on leaves: powdery mildew likes dry air; grow resistant slicers and dust sulfur only below 80F.
In a bag?
- Yes
- Up to a 5–7 gal bag.
- Water
- Daily in July and August; a bag dries far faster than a bed. 30 to 40 sec on the shower dial until it runs from the seams.
- Feed
- Top-dress monthly; every watering leaches the bag.
- Sow
- One or two plants per bag, with a trellis set in the same day.
Cucumbers climb a trellis in a raised bed or a 5 to 7 gallon bag, giving straight fruit, clean leaves, and steady picking from July into September. Two plants keep the crisper full without taking much room.
Growing
Direct sow after frost in late May, or start peat pots three weeks ahead in late April and transplant without disturbing the roots. Set one or two plants against the trellis, bed or bag, installed the same day; vines trained upward dry faster after rain, which is most of mildew prevention. Even moisture matters more than feeding, since drought-stressed cucumbers turn bitter at the stem end. Pick young and pick daily once they start; one hidden yellow blimp tells the vine its work is done.
Varieties
Marketmore 76 is the dependable slicer; Diva sets smooth fruit without needing pollination and stays mild; Boston Pickling covers the jar side.
Pests
Striped cucumber beetles do double damage: chewed seedlings, then bacterial wilt spread as they feed, which can collapse a healthy vine in days. Row cover from sowing until first flowers, then morning hand-patrols while the beetles are sluggish. If wilt takes a vine, pull the whole thing; there is no cure, only spread.
In the kitchen
Smashed cucumber salad and spears with everything through July. The pickling rounds go to refrigerator dills long before canning ever feels necessary.