The Cucumis sativus, better known as cucumber, is a very popular plant due to the refreshing flavor of its fruit, widely used in salads and dishes of the Mediterranean diet. It is an annual plant that has its origin in India, where it has been cultivated and consumed for more than 3,000 years.
In addition to its raw culinary use, it is also widely consumed as a pickle and in sauces, and is also often used by the cosmetic industry for its moisturizing and skin-whitening properties. Likewise, it is a food with diuretic and purifying properties, which is why it is also used in diets with these characteristics.
if you want to learn how to plant and grow cucumbers at homekeep reading us in this EcologíaVerde article, where we will teach you how to do it step by step.
When to plant cucumbers
Cucumber is usually sown in spring.around the month of April. However, if you live in a cool climate zone, you can wait until well into June to avoid the risk of low temperatures or frost that could kill the plant. In the same way, in very hot climates we can plant them earlier, even at the end of winter if you plant them in a seedbed.
Also, some recommend doing two plantings spaced for about 4 or 6 weeks, in order to enjoy the harvest for longer.
How to plant cucumbers
The cucumber can be planted directly in the orchard or garden, but since it is a plant to which the cold can do a lot of damage, we recommend doing the planting cucumbers in seedbed for, later and when the temperatures are already high and stable, at the beginning of the summer, transplant the cucumbers to the ground. learn how to plant cucumbers in a seedbed step by step following these simple instructions:
- The first thing is to prepare the substrate for the seedbed. For this, you can buy a special substrate for seedbeds at any specialized store, or make one yourself with a mixture of soil with humus, perlite and coconut fiber.
- The same thing happens with cucumber seeds as with the substrate: you can buy them, or use those from previous years’ crops. Moisten the substrate before you start, and plant two to three seeds per seedbed, no more than 2 centimeters deep.
- Once planted, try to keep the seedbed in an area with natural light so that the seedlings do not become waterlogged, that is, they grow weak due to lack of light, and do not flood the substrate when watering or fungi could appear. In about a week you should see your seeds germinate, and another three weeks later they will be ready to be transplanted.
How to grow cucumbers
After a month from the sowing of the cucumbers in the seedbed, their seedlings must be transplanted to their final location outdoors or in a pot. If you plant them in the ground, respect a minimum distance of 40 centimeters between each plant.
Follow these tips to learn how to successfully grow cucumbers at home:
Ideal soil for growing cucumbers
Cucumber requires soil with a large amount of nutrients, so you will need to pay. We recommend always using organic fertilizers, such as earthworm humus, compost or bokashi. In addition, it is very important that the soil has good drainage. Giving a layer of fertilizer just after transplanting will also prevent the appearance of so-called weeds.
In this other EcologíaVerde post you can learn everything about organic fertilizer: what it is, types, benefits and how to do it.
watering cucumbers
This is the most delicate point with the cucumber, because although waterlogging is fatal for the plant, it also needs regular and abundant watering to develop properly. If your soil becomes waterlogged due to excessive irrigation or poor drainage, it is very likely that your cucumbers will be attacked by fungi, spoiling your harvest.
Light
Cucumbers like the heat, but if you live in an area where temperatures are very high, you should not expose it to the worst hours of the summer sun. Find a semi-shaded location where it is covered from the midday heat.
Cucumber Plant Pruning
It is good to remove wilted leaves or leaves that do not seem to be in good condition from the plant. In addition, pruning some secondary stems will favor its fruiting and production.
Finally, you can support the plants or use wire fences so that the plant climbs up them and the fruits do not remain at ground level. This step is not necessary, but it is recommended.
When to harvest cucumbers
Cucumber is a very productive vegetable, and in only an approximate time of two months from sowing you can start harvest cucumbers. It is important to focus on its great production capacity, of 25 kg per square meter, so it is better not to oversow if you do not want to end up with surplus cucumbers.
If you decide to plant and grow cucumbers in your garden, we recommend you consult this other EcologíaVerde article in which we tell you about the vegetables that grow well together, and you will see that you can put, for example, cabbages next to cucumbers.
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