How to Grow Cucumbers

How to Grow Cucumbers

Things You'll Need:

•Cloches

•Compost Makers

•Fertilizers

•Fish Emulsions

•Garden Rakes

•Garden Spades

•Garden Trowels

•Mulch

•Rototillers

•Trellises

•Vegetable Seeds

Instructions.
Step 1Choose a site with all-day sun, except in hot, dry regions, where cucumbers like some afternoon shade. Soil should have a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Step 2Dig deeply and enrich the soil with plenty of compost and well-rotted manure.

Step 3Sow cucumber seeds directly into the ground at least two weeks after the last frost and when both soil and air temperatures average at least 65 degrees F. Expect germination in 3 to 10 days, depending on soil temperature. (The higher the temperature, the faster the seeds will sprout.) Set vining varieties 2 to 3 feet apart; bush types, 18 inches apart.

Step 4Spray the plants with fish emulsion fertilizer about four weeks after germination, or side-dress with compost.

Step 5Mulch the soil once the plants are established to control weeds and conserve moisture.

Step 6Provide at least an inch of water each week, especially when the plants are flowering and fruiting.

Step 7Pick cucumbers when they're still moderate-sized - between 3 and 4 inches for pickling varieties and 6 to 8 inches for slicers - otherwise they'll become seedy and bitter. Cukes mature at the speed of light, so check your plants daily.