MAIN Home Life Gardening Vegetables Cucumbers

Tracing its roots back thousands of years to ancient India and Asia, the cucumber remains one of the most popular additions to the backyard home garden.

Especially with the introduction of dwarf varieties that do not require as much space, cucumbers can be allowed to sprawl or can be grown vertically up a fence or trellis.

The versatile cucumber allow for a mix of uses including slicing into salads, chopping up for relishes or for pickling. Almost 96% water, the cool cuke provides snap and flavor to any side dish and is a good source for vitamins A and C.

Depending on how early you wish to start your crop, cucumbers may be started indoors as seedlings, or planted directly into the soil outdoors after all threat of frost has passed. Since they are so fast growing, many gardeners skip the pre-planting stage, and head right out to the garden to plant seeds in late spring.

For a super yield, prepare the soil with lots of organic compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Sow seeds at least a foot apart for the vines to sprawl, or set out along a fence or trellis to allow vines room to climb. When fruit begins to set, feed again with a nitrogen fertilizer and water generously throughout the growth period.

Meanwhile, watch for scarring of the fruit, wilting of leaves or apparent holes chewed through the leaves - a sure sign of cucumber beetles. Also inspect the underside of leaves and drops of sticky "dew," a sign of aphid infestation.

On the Web - How to plant & grow cucumbers :

Watch Your Garden Grow - Cucumbers - One-stop browsing for expert advice on sowing, planting, care & feeding, plus commonly asked questions, tips on pest control, recommended varieties, nutritional value & health benefits, and related recipes.

Growing Cucumbers in the Home Garden - Fact sheet on when to plant or harvest, spacing & depth, care & feeding, with a list & descriptions of recommended varieties, from the Ohio State University Extension.

Cucumber Growing Tips - Good information on the best cucumbers for slicing, pickling or growing in containers, a list of disease-resistant varieties, a guide to common pests and related remedies, growing, pollinating and harvesting tips, with related links & resources.

Home Trellised Cucumbers - A guide to growing cucumbers vertically with related tips on recommended varieties, trellis size specifications, training & pruning.

How to Grow Cucumbers - Fact sheet with step-by-step instructions for soil preparation, sowing, fertilizing and harvesting.

Cucumber - Insects & Other Pests - Comprehensive information on every known cucumber insect or disease including thrips, aphids, white flies, nematodes, powdery mildew and other pests, with tips & advice on management & control, recommended insecticides.

Cucumber Beetles - Illustrated guide for dealing with the common pests including details on their biology and breeding, how they damage cucumber vines, and recommended deterrents and insecticides, from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

Making Grandma's Pickles: Step By Step - Like it says, with plenty of photos to accompany detailed instructions for pickling at home, from washing and brining to the final moment of pickled perfection.

Pickled Cucumbers - Instructions for homemade gherkins, bread-and-butter pickles, quick sour pickles and related recipes

Browse the Chiff Chef Recipe File

Cucumber Salad | Lemon Cucumber Salad

Hot & Spicy Cucumber Salad

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