Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

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

(Best months for growing Cucumber in Australia - tropical 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 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches 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

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for Australia | for all countries
29 Jan 11, Bob (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have an established vegie garden but the neighbour's palm trees, root have invaded all four plots, any ideas other than to poison the roots? I have tried to dig up the sides to place in a barrier but this didn't work.
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12 Jan 11, Beth (Australia - temperate climate)
I've made a trellis for my Lebanese cucumbers. Should I still plant them on 'hills' under the trellis?
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23 Dec 10, Alan (Australia - temperate climate)
My Lebanese cucumbers are now about 60-70cms high and have a lot of flowers on --, the cucumber forms behind the flower but after a couple of days it dries off and eventually just falls of. Would appreciate some advice re the cause of this
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01 Jan 11, mira (Australia - temperate climate)
I found that hand pollenating the flowers fixed that. I pick a flower that doesn't have a cucumber, tear off the petals to leave the middle and press it against the flower with the cucumber when it is open so that the pollen mixes.
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15 Dec 10, Arthur Davis (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a very healthy lebanese cucumber vine but no fruit - what do I need to do to fix this?
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20 Nov 10, Di Liversidge (Australia - tropical climate)
I have lots of small cuces on the plants but they go yellow and rot when they are still about 3cms long. What's wrong with them? The plants have lots and lots of flowers and look healthy. It's wet season in Darwin so they are getting plenty of water and are in a rectangular pot with plenty of drainage.
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21 Nov 10, Sri (Australia - temperate climate)
You may also want to consider little bugs chewing the stems behind your cuces try spraying them with some dipel or pest oil some of the bugs are so tiny its difficult to see them and with it being the wet season where you are caterpillars could also be the culprit. Also if you have used seeds that you have saved or been given by someone else it could be a case of them being a hybrid which means they wont produce.
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21 Nov 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It could be that the flowers aren't getting pollinated. You could chase some bees in the right direction or brush the male flowers (with a straight stem and no bulge behind the flower) onto the female flowers (which will have a tiny cucumber behind them).
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18 Nov 10, Russell (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted (seedlings) 4 cucumbers and 6 zucchinis (Zs) in deep well nourished soil (Bokashied food scraps) in an area about 140 X 90cm, put 4 180cm stakes at the corners and strung wire horizontally at 20cm intervals to support the Z leaves which are huge. During growth I am removing many of the Z leaves to let the sun in. I spray any powdery mildew (pm) with Echo Rose which 'eats' pm (and black spot). Fantastic results. Not like last year when the Zs went all over the place on the ground with stacks of pm
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28 Jul 10, Darren (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Has anyone tried growing the armenian type cucumbers up in brisbane if so did you grow on a trellis
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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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