
Over the years, many varieties of cucumbers have been cultivated. RELATED: 12 Perennial Vegetables to Plant for Years of Fresh Produce Recommended Cucumber Varieties Male blooms appear first and usually fall off, followed by female blooms that eventually bear fruit.

They like a lot of heat and produce an abundance of long, thick fruit with a dense green skin and juicy, transparent flesh. These vegetables typically grow fast and require little care once established, although they can produce bitter fruit if unevenly watered. Do cucumbers need to climb? It’s not a necessity for some bush types, but if vining cucumbers don’t climb, they’ll spread on the ground, taking up space and making pest or disease attraction more likely.Ĭucumber growing is fairly easy. Today, cucumbers are available in two types: bush and climbing, although some categorize them as slicing and pickling varieties.Ĭonsidered a tender plant, cucumbers have a succulent, trailing stem hairy leaves with three to five pointed lobes and tendrils that can be trained to attach to trellises. The cucumber-or Cucumis sativus-originated in India, but the plant has been grown around the world for centuries, including in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Safety: Cucumbers can be eaten raw some people with sensitive stomachs can get indigestion from eating raw cucumbers because they contain cucurbitacin. Propagation: Cuttings can be taken ⅛ inch behind the second set of leaves at the end of the stem. Apply 5-10-5 fertilizer 1 week after blooms appear and every 3 weeks afterward. Water: 1 inch of water per week moderate watering before flowering, heavier watering after blooming.įood: Cucumbers are heavy feeders, desiring sizable amounts of phosphorus and potassium.

Soil: Loose, sandy loam soil or any well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 RELATED: 11 Plant Pairs Never to Grow Side by Side Growing Cucumbers at a Glance Plus, they taste good and are easy to grow! Read on to learn how to grow cucumbers successfully in your home garden. Cucumbers are also a great source of fiber and help the kidneys flush out toxins.

Often considered a “diet vegetable” because of its high water content (cucumbers are 96 percent water), the cucumber offers numerous health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory compounds known as flavonoids, potassium to regulate cardiovascular and muscular function, and antioxidants that contribute to cancer prevention.
