Growing Cucumbers in the Home Garden
go.ncsu.edu/readext?1019335
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲Cucumbers are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes squash and melons. There are two types of cucumbers that can be grown. There are slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. They can be grown in a variety of shapes and sizes, from 1 inch long to greenhouse varieties that can reach 20 inches or longer.
Cucumbers are a summer crop and are very sensitive to cold. The seed will not germinate until the soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees F. Seeds can be started indoors and transplanted at least two weeks after the last frost. Seedlings or seeds can be planted at least 12 inches apart and then thinned to desired in-row spacing. If space is limited use a trellis. Trellising often provides a higher yield and improved fruit quality.
Full sun and a well drained loamy soil is preferred. Cucumbers like to be grown in a a soil with a pH of 6.0. It is best to do a soil sample as with all vegetables to determine the soils needs. Cucumbers are heavy feeders and require fertilization routinely for them to continue to produce. It generally takes about six weeks from seed to picking. If you keep the cucumbers picked every couple of days and remove the bad ones they will continue to flower and produce cucumbers for up to four to six weeks. Pollination is also important to have high yields.
Did you know that English cucumbers are called “burpless” because their lack of seeds eliminate gas buildup. Generally smaller cucumbers contain fewer and smaller seeds. Popular slicing varieties include Straight 8, Poinsett, Tasty Green and Gemini. Some popular pickling varieties include Gershwin, Supremo, Citadel and Calypso.
Did you know that the inner temperature of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air due to its water content of almost 96%. When harvesting a dark green cucumber be sure to store it at 50-55 degree F and 85-95% relative humidity. If cucumbers remain in high temperatures they tend to ripen quickly and turn yellow. Cucumbers if stored properly can last for at least a week.
For more information about growing cucumbers, or if you have other gardening questions, feel free to contact the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Franklin County Center Office at 919-496-3344. Stay tuned for nutritional information about cucumbers in the next Growing in Franklin article.