Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When preparing your garden bed, add two to three inches of com-
post or aged animal manure, as this vegetable needs a fertile soil to
grow its best. Cucumber seeds need a warm soil to germinate, so
they are often started indoors and then transplanted out once the
weather warms up. This is especially important if you live in a cooler
climate. Cucumber plants grow quickly and can be harvested at vari-
ous sizes depending on the variety. The fruit needs to be picked reg-
ularly so more will grow.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Some people complain of bitter-tasting cucumbers. To grow tasty,
nonbitter cucumbers, you need to have a soil that is not too acidic,
so add lime to your garden bed in the spring. Inconsistent watering
or large temperature differences can stress the plant, which can
also cause the bitter taste. To avoid this, water regularly and pro-
tect the plant from the cold.
Cucumbers need to be pollinated, so it is important to know if the
variety you choose is a hybrid or standard. Standard varieties have
both male and female flowers on the same vine; insects or the wind
will do the pollinating for you. The male flower comes out first and
looks like a miniature cucumber. The female flower is identified by a
swollen ovary just behind the male flower. Hybrid varieties have sep-
arate female and male plants and will need to be pollinated by hand.
If you have saved cucumber seeds from the past or a friend has
given them to you and you are not sure of the variety, check the
plant as it grows to see what kind of flowers it is producing. If there
is only a male or female flower, no fruit will form. Go to your garden
center and purchase another plant that will pollinate the first one for
you.
