Growing Cucumbers

Did you know that cucumbers are considered a tropical vegetable? Cucumbers grow best in hot weather with plenty of water. The flipside of this is that cucumber plants are frost tender, meaning that frost will affect their growth and the soil should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Farmer Phil offers two types of cucumber plants, vining and bush varieties. Some other factors to consider when growing cucumbers include:

• The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.8, although any pH up to 7.6 is somewhat acceptable.
• If planting in rows, create hills, each with about two to three plants spaced six inches apart.
• Warming the soil can be done with black plastic or mulch.
• Cucumber plants should receive about one inch of water per week, which can be done by a hose or drip irrigation to keep leaves dry.
• Plants should be fertilized every two weeks.
• If the fruit becomes oversized, the taste becomes bitter, so pick the cucumbers when they appear to be an adequate size – not too large but not too small.