Planting cucumbers: growing, caring for and storing

Growing cucumbers has always been a favorite among home gardeners. For tips on growing, caring for and harvesting cucumbers, click here.

Growing cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) is not particularly difficult in your own garden. With the right cultivation and care, the needs of the whole family can be easily covered over the summer. In the warm season, the green fruit is refreshing with its high water content. For the winter, the cucumber can be pickled and can therefore be stored for months. The he althy cucumber vegetable originally comes from India and has been known in Europe for centuries. Despite its exotic origin, the cucumber also thrives in cooler temperatures in this country. We have summarized for you what needs to be considered for the successful cultivation of cucumbers.

Planting Cucumbers

Unlike its relatives, the cucurbits (such as courgettes and pumpkins), the annual cucumber plant is relatively cold-tolerant. Nevertheless, it does not tolerate frost either. To ensure that cucumber cultivation runs smoothly, a few tips on location, cultivation and care should be observed.

The right location

Although cucumbers are more cold-tolerant than pumpkins or melons, for example, the following motto applies outdoors: the sunnier, the better! The location should ideally be warm and sheltered from the wind. In the greenhouse, on the other hand, it can get a little too hot when growing cucumbers, so make sure you have a little shade there. Well-aerated, humus-rich and lighter soils with a certain amount of sand are very suitable for growing cucumbers. However, too much sand can also let too much water through and quickly lead to a lack of water in the cucumber plants. In turn, soil that is too heavy has a negative effect on growth.

Most cucumber varieties are climbing plants that offer climbing aids. We recommend a trellis that is about 50 cm in front of the plant. The plants must first have a certain sizereach so that they can form tendrils and grow up the scaffolding. Alternatively, the whole thing also works with a string, which the cucumber plant can then snake upwards. The effort is worth it, because the plants produce a higher yield and longer cucumbers. Another important point when choosing the location: Cucumbers are not self-compatible, so a cultivation break of 4 years must be observed! This also applies to other pumpkin plants (Cucurbitaceae) such as pumpkin, zucchini and melon.

Tip: You should also pay attention to the right neighboring plants when growing cucumbers. We show you which plants are good neighbors for cucumbers.

The following points should be observed when choosing the right location:

• sunny, warm and sheltered place
• loose, airy and humus-rich soil (not too heavy and not too much sand)
• provide a climbing aid (trellis or string)
• 4 year break after cucumbers and other cucurbits

Cucumber varieties: something for everyone

Even if you don't think so with the green vegetables - the selection of cucumber varieties is larger than you think! A basic distinction is made between cucumbers (max. 40-60cm), pickled cucumbers (up to 15cm) and peeled cucumbers (up to 40cm). Depending on the intended use and the place of cultivation (outdoor or greenhouse), there are a large number of cucumber varieties. You can find a larger selection in our cucumber variety overview.

Cucumbers

• Bella (F1): cucumber; Variety without bitter substances and good yields; good for greenhouse cultivation.
• Chinese Slangen: cucumber; Outdoor cultivation is recommended; tiny core and lots of pulp.
• Eiffel (F1): Hardy variety with 30-35 cm long fruits; ideal for greenhouse cultivation; good taste.
• Delicacy: tried and tested variety (10-15 cm); suitable for pickling and fresh consumption.

Cucumber Bella F1 purely female€7.98Details →Cucumber Chinese Slangen from Dürr-Samen€4.36Details →Sperli-Seeds Gherkin Delicacy€2.14Details →

Gherkins

• Mountain grapes: Very robust and fast-growing pickling cucumber; high yields andaromatic taste.
• Excelsior (F1): Newly bred F1 hybrid; extremely productive; subtle spines on the cucumber fruits; crisp fruits with excellent taste; high quality.
• Corentine (F1): Forms only female flowers; very productive; outstanding aroma without bitter substances; good resistance to powdery mildew, mosaic virus and cucumber scab.

Pickled cucumbers, foothill grapes€3.99Details →Sperli Pickling Cucumber Excelsior€6.98Details →Gherkin 'Corentine'Details →

Gherkins

• Fatum: Well-established cucumber variety with luscious fruits (40-50 cm long; 8-12 cm thick); the harvest should better be peeled before eating, as the peel is quite tough.

Planting Cucumbers

When growing cucumbers, there are basically two ways to grow the plants: Direct sowing or pre-cultivation in pots.

Non-till

In the case of direct sowing, sowing can only begin from mid-May, as planting should under no circumstances be done before the ice saints. With this form of sowing, the seed spot in the bed should be earthed up about 20 cm beforehand. The seeds are then sown 3 to 4 cm deep and 30 to 50 cm apart. A larger row spacing of 1 to 1.5 m should also be maintained, as cucumber plants can become very sprawling.

As a preculture

Pre-cultivation on the windowsill or in the cold frame is a sensible alternative, as the harvest can be expected earlier. In the case of the pre-culture, sowing should be done at the end of April at the earliest, because the young plants must not be too big when planted outdoors in May. For indoor cultivation, the pot is only half filled with soil and 2 to 3 seeds are sown about 1 to 2 cm deep. At 20 °C the seeds germinate after a few days. As soon as the largest and strongest seedling is sticking out over the edge of the pot, the other seedlings are removed and the pot is filled up with soil so that the leaves are still sticking out. This technique is used to ensure that the young cucumber plant develops adventitious roots. These are roots that arise above the actual root on the shoot. These provide more stability and increase the absorption of nutrients.

When the ice saints are over, the early young plants can be planted in the bed as with no-till. Before finally planting, it is worth hardening off the young plants by initially placing them outside for several hours a day. In the bed, it is also advisable to protect the cucumber plants with fleece at the beginning. However, fleece protection should only be used in cold temperatures and not permanently, so that the air does not accumulate too much underneath. Some cucumber varieties produce their fruit without pollination, but the fleece should be removed at the latest when the flowers form. A useful method of support at the beginning is to lay out black foil under the plant. Both materials help to keep the delicate plants warm during late cold snaps.

These tips will help when planting cucumbers outdoors:

• Direct sowing from mid-May, pile up the soil 20 cm and sow 3-4 cm deep (distance 30-50 cm and row spacing 1-1.5 m).
• preculture from the end of April; 2 to 3 seeds in a half-full pot at 20 °C; when the strongest seedling grows over the edge, fill the pot with soil.
• Use fleece or black film to protect against the cold.

If these tips are followed when planting cucumbers, the young plants will have a good start to the summer.

Cucumber growing care

Cucumbers are usually very he althy. But to ensure that the cucumber plants stay he althy and have a high yield, there are a few care instructions to consider.

Water the cucumbers properly

Cucumbers are mostly water. It is therefore not surprising that their water requirements are also very high. The soil should always be kept nice and moist, and a layer of mulch around the plant also prevents excessive evaporation. Nevertheless, you should make sure that there is no waterlogging - cucumber plants don't like that at all.

To prevent fungal infections, water should not be poured over the leaves, but always directly into the soil. A note when watering is particularly important: The water should never be too cold! It is best to use only warm water from the rain barrel. The reason for this is that the cucumbers can become bitter later (also due to severe drought).

Cucumbers rightfertilize

In order to provide enough nutrients to start with, it is advisable to work compost into the soil before planting the cucumbers. A primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer with a long-term effect is just as suitable. As a rule, cucumbers do not need to be fertilized much, as long as the location is chosen sensibly. The plant does not tolerate too much nitrogen well, so mineral fertilizers should be avoided. In addition, stress on the floor can be avoided.

When caring for cucumbers, a few points should be observed so that the harvest is productive:

• Water a lot
• Avoid waterlogging and do not wet leaves with water
• Use only preheated water (otherwise cucumbers can become bitter)
• Fertilize little
• Prepare soil with compost before planting out

Tip: Just like tomatoes, cucumbers can be overdone, which can help to counteract diseases.

Diseases and pests in cucumbers

Cucumber plants are not considered particularly demanding. Nevertheless, improper care can result in damage from diseases and pests. A common problem that is not caused by a fungus or animals is shedding of young fruit. This happens due to the excessive setting of fruits, which the plant cannot optimally supply itself. Here, removing some fruit buds helps to leave enough energy for the existing fruit.

Another very common problem is the infestation of powdery mildew and downy mildew. Powdery mildew can be recognized by a white coating on the leaves, downy mildew by golden-brown spots on the upper side and white coating on the underside. Angular leaf spot disease is also a relatively common disease. The bacterial infection can be recognized by angular and brown spots on the leaf. These tips will help to avoid such diseases in cucumber plants:

• Not too high humidity
• Do not wet leaves when watering
• Don't keep inventory too dense
• Note crop rotation
• No excessive nitrogen fertilization
• Select he althy and resistant varieties

Harvesting and storing cucumbers

Even before most types of vegetables are ripe, it's time to harvest cucumbers. The following tips range from the harvesting process tofor ideal storage of the cucumbers.

Harvest cucumbers correctly

Cucumbers are very fast-growing vegetables, so they can be harvested as early as July when cultivated outdoors. It's even earlier in the greenhouse: it's even possible there from the end of May! Just two weeks after flowering, the he althy cucumbers can be used in the kitchen. The following applies: lettuce and pickling cucumbers are harvested while they are still unripe (deep green colour), peeled cucumbers can take a little longer to ripen. So that you don't miss the right harvest time, you should pay attention to these signs:

• Smooth Shell
• Even Green
• No yellow color (overripe)

To harvest the cucumbers, the fruit is cut off with a knife right at the stem. It should be harvested regularly to keep the plant producing fruit. You should also cut off new blossoms starting in August - this way the plant has enough energy for the cucumbers that are already growing.

Store cucumbers correctly

How and for how long cucumbers can be stored depends entirely on the variety. While cucumbers are best eaten fresh, pickles are typically canned in jars.

Cucumbers usually don't last long. The temperature is decisive for the storage time. Ideally, this is around 10 to 13 °C - so neither the refrigerator nor the room temperature are ideal. Cucumbers originally come from warmer regions, which is still evident when they are stored. Cucumbers should therefore only be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Otherwise they may get mushy and blotchy.

Since the green vegetables are mostly water, they definitely don't belong in the freezer! Direct storage with apples or tomatoes should also be avoided. The reason for this is the so-called ethylene, a gas that stimulates ripening. The gas is produced by the fruit and causes cucumbers to overripe quickly.

Pickle Cucumbers

As the name suggests, pickles are perfect for storing in mason jars. As a result, cucumbers can be eaten for many months and throughout the winter. When canning the cucumbers are usually seasoned with vinegar, garlic, onions, dill,bay leaves and mustard seeds. The decisive factor for the shelf life is whether the cucumbers and the other ingredients have been heated beforehand. This is the only way to store he althy vegetables for longer. Detailed instructions for storing and pickling cucumbers can be found here.

For a particularly rich cucumber harvest, take a look at this article: We give you 10 tips for the best cucumbers from your own garden.