Grow cucumber in an area where the sun shines all day, except when you are in hot, dry regions. Very hot areas would need some partial shade. The vegetable thrives in a heavy soil that will retain moisture, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Steps to Grow Cucumbers
- Start planting cucumbers when the soil is warm and the peril of winter is over –– at least two weeks after the last frost.
- Thoroughly plow the soil to as deep as six to eight inches. Sow cucumber seeds directly into the ground one inch deep,. Keep vining varieties at 2 to 3 feet away from one another; set the bush types 8 inches distant from each other.
- Place a shovel full of well-rotten manure at the bottom of each hole. Then cover this with five inches of soil.
- Anticipate that the seeds will germinate in 3 to 10 days, depending on the temperature of the soil. The higher the temperature of the soil and air is, the faster the seeds will take root.
- When the plants stand as high as 3 to 4 inches, you will have to thin them down to 3 or 4 plants.
- Give your plants a spray of fish emulsion fertilizer approximately one month after germination, or side-dress with compost.
- Cover the plants with a layer of mulch once they are established. Mulch is a cover of materials such as organic residues and compost. You can mulch with straw or grass clippings. Laying mulch controls the growth of weeds, conserves and promotes soil moisture, and continuously keeps the soil warm.
- Cucumbers have shallow roots. So you can water at least twice with at least an inch of water. Start watering once the vines begins to bear flowers and fruits.
- Collect the cucumbers while they are still medium sized- between 6 to 8 inches for slicers and 3 to 4 inches for pickling cucumbers. If not, the cucumber will become seedy and bitter to taste. When they are ready to pick, try to pick them at least six to seven times a week. These mature at high speed, so try to give attention to you plants daily.
Cucumbers on trellises grow better than those with vines sprawling across the ground.