Cucumber

Cucumber is a tender, warm-season vegetable that produces well when given proper care and protection. The vines of standard varieties grow rapidly and require substantial space. Vertical training methods and new dwarf varieties now allow cucumbers to be grown f

or slicing, salads and pickling, even in small garden plots.

Recommended Varieties

Long Green Slicing

Burpless (hybrid - 62 days to harvest; the original sweet, long, Chinese-type hybrid; does well on a trellis)
Marketmore 76 (68 days; very uniform, dark green, straight fruit; multiple disease resistance)

Straight 8 (58 days; AAS winner; long-time favorite; excellent flavor; evenly dark green fruit)
Long Green Slicing (compact plant)
Bush Crop (55 days to harvest; delicious; 6-8 inch fruit on dwarf, bushy plants)
Fanfare (hybrid - 63 days; AAS winner; great taste; high yield; extended harvest; disease resistant)
Salad Bush (hybrid - 57 days; AAS winner; uniform 8 inch fruit on compact plants; tolerant to a wide variety of diseases

Pickling

Bush Pickle (48 days to harvest; compact plant; good for container growing)
Carolina (Hybrid - 49 days; straight, blocky fruits with white spines; medium-sized plant with good vigor; disease resistant)

When To Plant

Cucumbers are usually started by planting seeds directly in the garden. Plant after the danger of frost has passed, and the soil has warmed in the spring. Warm soil is necessary for germination of seeds and proper growth of plants. With ample soil moisture, cucumbers thrive in warm summer weather. A second planting for fall harvest may be made in mid- to late summer.

Cucumbers may be transplanted for extra-early yields. Sow two or three seeds in peat pots, peat pellets or other containers 3 to 4 weeks before the frost-free date. Thin to one plant per container. Plant transplants 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 5 to 6 feet apart when they have two to four true leaves. Do not allow transplants to get too large in containers or they will not transplant well. Like other vine crops, cucumbers do not transplant successfully when pulled as bare-root plants.

Spacing & Depth

Plant seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep and thin the seedlings to one plant every 12 inches in the row or to three plants every 36 inches in the hill system. If you use transplants, plant them carefully in warm soil 12 inches apart in the row.

Care

Cucumber plants have shallow roots and require ample soil moisture at all stages of growth. When fruit begins setting and maturing, adequate moisture becomes especially critical. For best yields, incorporate compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Cucumbers respond to mulching with soil-warming plastic in early spring or organic materials in summer. Use of black plastic mulch warms the soil in the early season and can give significantly earlier yields, especially if combined with floating row covers.

Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the plants begin to vine. Cucumber beetles should be controlled from the time that the young seedlings emerge from the soil.

In small gardens, the vines may be trained on a trellis or fence. When the long, burpless varieties are supported, the cucumbers hang free and develop straight fruits. Winds whipping the plants can make vertical training impractical. Wire cages also can be used for supporting the plants. Do not handle, harvest or work with the plants when they are wet.

Harvesting

Pick cucumbers at any stage of development before the seeds become hard. Cucumbers usually are eaten when immature. The best size depends upon the use and variety. They may be picked when they are no more than 2 inches long for pickles, 4 to 6 inches long for dills and 6 to 8 inches long for slicing varieties. A cucumber is of highest quality when it is uniformly green, firm and crisp. The large, burpless cucumbers should be 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and up to 10 inches long. Some varieties can grow considerably larger. Do not allow cucumbers to turn yellow. Remove from the vine any missed fruits nearing ripeness so that the young fruits continue to develop. The cucumber fruit grows rapidly to harvest size and should be picked at least every other day.

Common Problems

Cucumber beetles — 1/4 inch long. Black and yellow spotted or striped beetles. Feed on foliage, flowers, stems or fruit. Fly from one plant to another.
Crops attacked - Cucumber, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash (summer and winter), watermelon.
Symptoms of damage - Holes in foliage; chewed flowers; scarred stems and fruit surfaces.

Aphids — Watch for buildup of colonies of aphids on the undersides of the leaves

Bacterial Wilt - Plants are infected with the bacterial wilt disease by the attack of cucumber beetles. The disease organism overwinters inside the beetles' bodies. The beetles hibernate among the trash and weeds around the garden, emerging in time to feed on tender cucumber seedlings. Plants usually are infected with the disease-causing bacteria long before they show any symptoms. When the vines wilt and collapse (usually about the same time that the first cucumbers are half grown), it is too late to prevent the disease.

Spotted and striped cucumber beetles attack seedlings as they emerge from the soil. The beetle may appear in large numbers and can quickly stunt or kill the small plants. Beetles may carry bacterial wilt disease that causes plants to wilt and die.

Nutritional Value & Health Benefits

Cucumbers add a crisp snap to salads and sandwiches, however they are not a very good source of nutrients. The most abundant nutrient in cucumbers is water. A small amount of beta carotene is found in the green peel, but once peeled the level drops to nearly zero.

Nutrition Facts (6 large or 8 small raw cucumber slices with peel)

Calories 5

Protein trace

Dietary fiber 1 gram

Carbohydrates 1 gram

Calcium 7 mg

Vitamin A 70 IU

Vitamin C 3 mgIron trace

Recipes

Cucumber Yogurt Salad Dressing

This is a delicious, heart healthy, low calorie salad dressing which can be used as a dip for steamed or raw vegetables or as a topping for baked potatoes or steamed carrots. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

*1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
*2/3 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
*2 tablespoons minced red onion
*1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
*2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
*1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
*2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until creamy and smooth. Chill for about 2 hours before serving. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Thai Cucumber Salad

*1/4 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup rice vinegar
*4 pickling or slicing cucumbers, sliced lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
*1 shallot, thinly sliced
*10 whole cilanto leaves
*1/4 cup red pepper, julienne (about 1 inch long)

Combine the sugar, vinegar and salt and heat in a small sauce pan until sugar has dissolved (about 5 minutes) do not boil. Set saucepan in cold water to cool the vinegar mixture. When cool, pour over cucumbers and garnish with red peppers. Serves four.

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