Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      S S              
        T T T          
        P P            

(Best months for growing Cucumber in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes

Your comments and tips

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12 Dec 14, Karyn West (Australia - temperate climate)
My cucumbers were going great guns for about 3 weeks and then the leaves had a grey tinge to them and now the leaves are pale, yellow, sickly, flowers have disappeared and the cucumbers are curling:( What happened????
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28 Dec 14, Nicole (Australia - temperate climate)
Could be powdery mildew. Make sure you don't wet the leaves when you water. I use a soaker hose. I also spray the plant with milk, whey or sauerkraut juice as the lactobacillis is a natural enemy to fungi. Bicarb of soda and water is also a possibility as it raises the pH. Here's a Youtube video showing powdery mildew on cucumbers to see if that is what your problem is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdaN_wUsalE
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25 Nov 14, Grant Campbell (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi my question is my Lebanese cucumber vine is growing out of control on the ground if I cut half of the vine will it kill the whole plant?
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09 Dec 14, nick (Australia - temperate climate)
Should be fine. Mine keeps growing more heads and I cut them off all the time to discourage growth. Be mindful you don't the important stems though. Personally I have mine growing out of a DIY pine box with 5 in 1 bsoil up a fly screen frame.
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25 Nov 14, Murray (Australia - temperate climate)
When do you know when they are ripe and ready o pick im talking about standard cucumber
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21 Nov 14, Lea (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have apple cucumbers growing to day I found one that has been half eaten I left it can you tell me what kind of animals would eat them
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18 Nov 14, bruce (Australia - tropical climate)
apple cucumber lots of fruit & flowers but not getting any bigger
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13 Nov 14, chris edwards (Australia - temperate climate)
do apple cucumbers need bees to polinate
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09 Nov 14, Stevie (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i plant these right next to a mesh fence so they grow up the fence?
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06 Nov 14, lindsay (Australia - temperate climate)
my cucumber plant outside leaves are drying but they seem to be shooting from the centre .is this natural .this is the ist time i have tried to grow them
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Showing 201 - 210 of 387 comments
See comments for all plants

Have you had a lot of humidity (higher than usual) lately ? If so, your plants may be having a hard time transpiring. Transpiration is the process of releasing moisture (like sweating and evaporation rolled into one). Plants suck up water through their roots and move the water up through their stems and into their leaves, where they release the water (transpiration). Only about 5-10% of the water they intake is used for growth - the rest is released into the environment. The movement of water facilitates the movement of nutrients. So if the movement of water is SLOWED due to really high humidity (and this mostly happens in greenhouses when they are not properly ventilated) plants start to show signs of nutrient deficiencies of all kinds (maybe blossom end rot in tomatoes despite having plenty of bio-available calcium in the soil). That is to say; you could have a lot of misleading signs like: blossom end rot, or nitrogen deficiency (honestly I'm not sure which nutrients need the most water to be moved).....but the take away is the signs could be really confusing, and appear totally illogical. This only happens in high humidity situations; again like an improperly vented greenhouse, or if somehow you have managed to trap the humidity in your space...... this is a long shot.....but I lived on the Gold Coast (Broad Beach area) 30+ years ago...... and I still remember how humid it could get... especially further North. Clearly, some plants are better at moving the water in high humidity situations....tomatoes tend to have difficulty in very high humidity. Ensuring proper air flow may be helpful.

- Celeste Archer

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