{"id":2341,"date":"2019-06-06T09:37:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T09:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2341"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:04:58","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:04:58","slug":"14-best-care-tips-for-cucumber-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-best-care-tips-for-cucumber-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Best Care Tips for Cucumber Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Cucumber plants are tropical vegetables and thrive in warm and hot weather temperatures. They grow fast, so you\u2019ll want to make sure you take care of them properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By not taking care of cucumber plants, they will start to wither. Cucumbers grow in vines and bushes, but vining is the best option because you\u2019ll get more cucumbers. With vining, the cucumber scrambles along the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once your cucumbers are ready to be picked, make sure to wash them thoroughly with hot water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s your choice on what you want to do with the cucumbers. They can be pickled, sliced and placed in salads, or eaten by itself. It is important to continue to care for the cucumber plants to yield more cucumbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are eight best care tips for cucumber plants that you will want to know the next time you want to grow cucumbers. You may even be able to sell your cucumbers at a farmer\u2019s market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Water the cucumber plants every week. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers don\u2019t need much water, unless there is a drought or the temperature is consistently hot. When you water the cucumber plants, only use an inch of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers grow fast and don\u2019t need that much care. The soil just needs to remain moist. Cucumber plants that don\u2019t get enough moisture to grow in weird shapes and taste bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When watering the cucumber plants, it is a good idea to use a water hose to spray the soil. You want to keep the leaves dry as much as possible. When the leaves get wet, they can grow bacteria and once the cucumbers grow, the leaves may transfer the bacteria to them. In order to find out if the cucumber plants need soil, you can touch the soil to see how moist it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it feels dry, just water the soil. Some water may get on the leaves, but if it\u2019s possible, avoid it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Use plant food to help with the growth of the cucumbers. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Miracle-Gro is the best plant food you can use on your cucumber plants. Read the directions on the package before using it to make sure that you don\u2019t use too much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place the plant food in the soil. The cucumbers will grow fast and look beautiful once they have fully matured. Plant food doesn\u2019t need to be used every day. For instance, some plants should only be given plant food every 10 to 15 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant food will provide the plants with the necessary nutrients it needs. Plants are like human beings, if you give a person too much of a good thing, it can have the reverse effect. Plant food has its benefits, but you don\u2019t want to overdo it. The cucumbers won\u2019t have a good taste if you take care of them too much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a limit on how much care cucumbers need since they are not a demanding vegetable that needs 24-hour care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Use high-quality soil is important when it comes to growing cucumbers. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High-quality soil will allow the cucumbers to flourish. You can make your own compost or use manure for your cucumber plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to taking care of the cucumber plants, the soil is just as important as the cucumber itself. The soil needs to be moisturized at all times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With cucumber plants, they only need to be watered every week. Plant food can be added when you water. It just depends on what the instructions on the package of plant food states. It isn\u2019t a good idea to use plain dirt because it has nothing to add to your cucumber plants, but bugs. Depending on how large your cucumber plants will be you will need a lot of soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure enough soil is used. It doesn\u2019t need to cover the entire plant, but there should be a good amount on the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Apply fungicides at the first sign of bugs on your cucumber plants. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bugs carry diseases and chew on the leaves. The diseases they carry could spread to the cucumbers and when you eat them you will be exposed to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though you wash the vegetables, the disease is still present. The fungicides should only be applied to the leaves to avoid the bugs doing any more damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fungicides have chemicals in them, so if it\u2019s at all possible, try not to get any on the cucumbers themselves. When you pick the cucumbers, wash them thoroughly in hot water since they may have traces of bugs and fungicides on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fungicides will get rid of the bug problem so that you can grow healthy cucumbers. There is no way to avoid bugs getting on your cucumber plants since they have to be planted outside since they are large plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Dig up cucumber plants before the winter. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers don\u2019t do well in cold weather. They will have a tender feeling and won\u2019t thrive. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important that cucumber plants are planted in the summertime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no need to try covering up cucumber plants for the summer season because they won\u2019t grow. Cucumber plants need to be planted after the last frost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to get the best cucumbers, you should replant cucumbers in the summer. Even if you tried going cucumbers in the wintertime, it won\u2019t work. You\u2019ll just have leaves that fall off and turn color. If they do happen to grow and you pick them, they won\u2019t have the same taste and they would if you had planted them in the summertime. As soon as it gets cool, dig up the cucumber plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no need to save them. Make sure to pick all of the cucumbers off of the vine before digging them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Pick cucumbers from the plants carefully. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to rip them off the vine. Use a pair of scissors or knife to take the cucumbers off. By ripping them off the vine could damage it. If you want to continue to grow cucumbers throughout the entire summer, it won\u2019t happen if you rip them off the vine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since you took the time to grow the cucumbers, you need to take that same care to take them off the vine. When cutting the cucumbers off the vine, cut above the stem. That takes time because you will need to know where the stem is on the cucumber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you take the cucumbers off the vine, you can enjoy them any way you want to. More cucumbers can begin to sprout because you took care to not damage the vine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on how many cucumbers have bloomed, you will need to eat the cucumbers within a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Trellis the vines is a tip for caring for cucumber plants. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This will keep the cucumbers clean and saves a lot of space. Wire fencing or hog wire is the best to use when you trellis the vines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the cucumbers begin to grow, they can grow on the trellis and stay off the ground. This can prevent a lot of bugs from getting on the leaves as well. There is no way to prevent bugs from getting on them completely, but it will help out a bit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is better than the cucumbers being completely on the ground. Make the trellis as big as you want. It all depends on how many cucumbers you want to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once one batch of cucumbers grow, you can figure out if the trellis needs to be bigger or smaller. A trellis is easy to make and it doesn\u2019t take much time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Mulch your cucumber plants is best when they are not on a trellis. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mulch will keep cucumbers clean when they are on a bush. Straw mulch, for instance, is known to keep slugs and beetles away. Mulch your cucumber plants as soon as the ground becomes warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sun will warm the ground. A good time to mulch is in the afternoon when the sun is up, especially on a hot summer day. In order to lie mulch down quickly, you may want to plant in the late morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though it may be hot outside, your cucumbers plants will thrive in this type of weather. It doesn\u2019t take long to plant cucumber seeds. You could be finished with planting and mulching in less than an hour. Mulch needs to be put down as soon as you finish planting. That way your cucumber plants can begin growing delicious and fresh cucumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Planning and Preparation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you grab a packet of seeds and start haphazardly planting your cucumbers, take a few minutes to plan and prepare for the growing season. When selecting the right variety of cucumber for your garden, its best to focus on the result \u2013 what do you want to do with your cucumbers? There are distinct differences in the species used for pickling, as opposed to those used for fresh salads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickling cucumbers will reach maturity faster than salad cucumbers, giving you the opportunity for succession planting, especially if you start the seeds early indoors. We also recommend you look into disease-resistant varieties, especially if you live in a colder region of the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers also come in bush or vine format, allowing you to select between a variety that suits the garden or a container. We recommend container pots for trellis applications, mainly if you are limited to growing space.
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10. Planting Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The right time of the spring to start planting outdoors is right after the last frosts fall. Make sure that you keep an eye out for any late cold snaps that could kill your seedlings, and if you are unsure about a potential freeze hitting, then cover your seedlings with a burlap tent each evening before dark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We like using a raised flowerbed for out planting, as the extra elevation off of the floor provides the roots with a little more warmth, which is necessary if you\u2019re growing in a colder climate. If you want to take advantage of the fast-finishing time of cucumber plants and plant a successive crop \u2013 the best time to do it is 5-weeks after your first sowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always plant your cucumber seeds at a depth of 1-inch, and 6-inches apart \u2013 any closer, and you run the risk of root entanglement that could stunt growth. If you plant too deep, the seedling may starve before it reaches the surface.
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11. Start Indoors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers are susceptible to cold climate conditions, and they typically don\u2019t enjoy the cold start to the year, especially if you live in the Northern States. If you want to plant cucumbers and make successive crops in the limited summer season that available in the Northern Hemisphere, then we suggest starting your seeds indoors for faster turnaround times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting indoors requires a container no less than 6-inches deep, and 6-inches wide. We recommend 5-gallon air-pots made from breathable material. This pot helps to provide airflow to the roots, accelerating growth. Start your seedling 3-weeks before the expected planting date for your outdoor crops, and get ready for your first harvest in eight to twelve weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting your seeds in containers indoors is an excellent option for growers that want to plant a succession crop as well, but don\u2019t have space in their garden. Start in pots, harvest your first crop, and then plant the succession.
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12. Bigger is Not Better<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When harvest season rolls around, you\u2019ll start to notice changes occurring in your cucumbers. The pickling variety undergoes changes in color and texture to their skin going a darker green while developing small bumps on the surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend that you pick salad cucumbers at a length of six to eight inches, and the pickling variety at three to four inches. We think that three to four inches is the ideal size for pickling cucumbers, as they fit easily into mason jars, making for storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you leave cucumbers on the vine, they will keep growing. Larger cucumbers are not always better cucumbers. The larger they get, the more seeds they produce, and it changes the flavor profile of the cucumber to a bitter taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumbers left on the vine for too long with eventually turn yellow and start to exhibit signs of wilting in the leaves. We recommend you clear any of these cucumbers from your garden to avoid attracting disease and pests to your healthy plants.
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13. Bitter Cucumbers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You spend months cultivating your cucumbers to harvest, only to bite into one and find that it tastes bitter. This disappointing occurrence happens to every cucumber farmer from time to time. Your cucumbers may turn bitter if they experience serve heat stress or drought during the growing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes in moisture levels in the ground may affect how the plant feeds, resulting in changes in the texture and flavor of the cucumbers. Likewise, periods of heavy rains may also cause disease and rot to occur in the foliage and roots of the plant, changing the flavor of your cucumbers. The cucumber plant does not like either climate extreme and prefers to grow in neutral soil.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes to pH levels in the soil due to nutrient imbalances may also affect the final flavor of your cucumbers. To avoid bitter cucumbers, make sure you select the right seeds to suit your climate before you get to sprouting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Rotate Your Crops<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rotating your crops will give you the chance to benefit from freshly rested soil every growing season. Choose a quarter of the space in your garden, and rest it for a full season. Plants deplete the soil of nutrients as they grow, forcing you to increase your mulching and fertilizing during the season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the harvest, you need to rehabilitate the soil in preparation for the coming years harvest. If you don\u2019t replenish the nutrients, then your next crop will not have the same yield as your first, and you can expect the plant to become predisposed to developing infections, such as bacteria and mold problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotating your crops helps you to restore the soil to good health. Some pathogens, such as fungal diseases, may remain in the ground for years after harvest. Anything that you plant will also experience infection as well. By resting, you give the earth a chance to disperse the pathogens before the next planting season.
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