Cucumbers are easy to grow and give high yields for the space taken. They can either extend their vines over a large space of ground or be trellised and grow upward.
VARIETIES: There are numerous varieties of cucumbers available. Read the label on the seeds to see if the kind you choose is best for pickling or salads. Many varieties are good for either purpose.
WHERE TO LOCATE: Anywhere in your garden just so they receive a good amount of sunlight. If you have a small space around your house that is unused you can plant them there. A space four feet by four feet will produce a lot of cukes.
SEEDS OR SETS: I always use seeds. Cukes sprout very quickly and are tenacious once they emerge.
HOW TO PLANT: Cucumbers are best if you plant them on a 'hill'. By 'hill' I mean the following. Make a pile of dirt around 12 inches higher than the surrounding ground and around 15 inches at its base. At the base of the spot chosen for the hill add a handful of 5-5-5 granular fertilizer. Build the hill on top of this. Spray the hill down with a good bit of water to saturate the soil. The next day sprinkle again and punch five holes in the ground around the top of the hill, each about 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Place 1 or 2 seeds in each hole and place the dirt back in the hole to cover the seed. Water again. Keep watering until they emerge. Once the plants emerge and are 2-3 inches tall, thin the young plants down to the best two. Two plants per hill is about right. In your 4 foot by 4 foot space mentioned above make two hills.
SUPPORT: As mentioned elsewhere I prefer to support vines to keep snails and other ground critters from affecting their quality. In wet periods this will also keep the produce from rotting on the ground. The 'trellis' can be as simple as two tomato stakes around four feet long placed into the ground on either side of the plant and at an angle so that they cross in the middle and form an 'X'. Tie the two stakes where they cross with the young plant centered under the 'X'. The vines will quickly send out tendrils which will wrap around the two stakes. The plants will follow the tendrils up the support. Once they reach the top they will continue to grown and drape back over to the ground. For most species the four foot stakes (with one foot in the ground) will provide ample opportunity for growth. As you can see from the photo above I tie the vines loosely to the trellis using strips torn from an old white T-shirt.
HOW TO NURTURE: If you followed the planting directions above no further fertilizer is necessary. However, if you do add more I recommend using Miracle Grow mixed with water. Water these plants daily and they will thrive. As usual water around where the stem comes from the ground. Do not sprinkle or water from above. Saturate the ground all around the plants.
WHEN TO PICK: Chose the size of cucumber that pleases you. However, if left to grow too long they will have tough skin. Read the seed package to determine the intended length of the adult cucumbers. I'm partial to cucumber sandwiches so I use smaller (4-5 inches) ones for that. I still peel the outer skin off before slicing and placing on two slices of bread covered with mayo. Wow! Is that good or what? Especially the first sandwich every Summer.
PESTS: I have never had much problems with pests on these plants. However when they are growing and before the cukes begin to grow I sprinkle a little Sevin Dust around them and very, very lightly on the leaves. Chester Burley of CT writes that he uses marigolds. 'Plant marigolds thru out your garden.' This is a nice earth friendly way to avoid insects and other pests in your garden.
STORING THE EXCESS: Canning your own pickles gives you many a Winter's meal to remember the pleasure of your Summer garden. Google any website for many pickle recipes or buy a book on canning.
RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingrdient and it will pop up for you.
Cucumber Salad Dressing
Bread and Butter Pickles
Swamp Salad
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