Topic: How do cucumbers grow?

[antipodes]

Don't ask me why, but this year I thought I would have a bash at growing cucumber! I was thinking just 2 or 3 plants would be fine, and bought some bog-standard Tasty Green Burpless, as I was sure that if I bought the expensive ones then they would surely shrivel up and die!

Anyways, I am starting to sprout the seeds indoors but I realised that I don't actually know how you grow a cucumber! I assume it grows as a sort of vine,  like a squash? It will be outdoors, it's warm enough here, but do I run it up a stake? Or two stakes wired together to form a frame? I have some old pieces of a metal clothes horse - If I make a sort of tent structure with that will they climb over it?
I am not sure how tall and vigourously they grow and how many fruit one vine gives.

Could anyone give some tips?
Thx!

[BarriedaleNick]

You can treat them like any climbing plant - I have seen them trained up on canes, on mesh fencing, on wire on the wall of a shed.  They stick out tendrils somewhat like a pea to grab on to whatever they can..

I have only ever grown the little cucs and had up to 30 on a plant but I expect some one more knowledgeable then me will be along in a bit...

[goodlife]

Well, for start...2 or 3 plants should give you plenty to munch ;)
Sow the seed on their side..not flat against the compost so they don't rot in damp soil..just like you would sow cougettes and squashes.
If you want straight cumbers..grow them upright..what ever surface you have but they do need something to crip on..canes, mesh etc.
I use just simple canes..you may need to help them a bit to start with and tie them on, but soon they will carry on without your help.
Other than that..easy job  ;) Depending what space they have available..you may need to restrict their growth or they romp away and your end up with 'tent' that weights a ton.
I grow mine in cordon style..one main stem and all side shoots are shortened to 2 leaves.

[elhuerto]

Cucumbers do really well here. We set up a wigwam of canes with string running diagonally between the three canes and a plant at each corner. Seems to work well especially as the centre of the wigwam gets plenty of shade and holds the moisture better. I know people will place containers next to each plant to water the roots and avoid water on the leaves - haven't needed to do that but the idea makes sense.

[1066]

I treat them a bit like courgettes / squash in that I give them some muck when planting out, but  I then grow them up some pastic chicken wire I have, they find their own way up there.

The best tio I got from A4A and has to be a "top tip" is to nip out the 1st flower on each plant, that way they grow really strong and you get loads of cucs.

Enjoy!!

[Digeroo]

We have very well drain soil and they grow like weeds.  Some ttype are a little prone to slug/snail damage so you have to watch out for the critters. 

[antipodes]

Oh wow! I don't know why I thought they would be hard to grow???? I guess I could have just asked my lottie neighbours but haven't seen anyone for a while (I tend to go at strange times!).
Thanks for all those tips. I did do the "seed on its side" thing and it seems to have worked.

I like the wigwam idea! And the tip about the first flower is a good one. But I have trouble believing that I would get 30 fruit from one plant!!!! Surely not?
I do have this year quite a lot of compost and the plot was heavily manured the last two years so hopefully a big spadeful of compost in the hole and they will romp away.

Do I take it that if they grow on the ground, the fruit tend to curve around?

[Debs]

Yes, if on the ground they will curl - I had some that looked like boomerangs

when I had not tied them in to a cane  ;D

Good luck - they taste gorgeous -as they do HAVE taste, unlike supermarket

bought cukes.

I'm trying a french variety - 'Delicatesse' which I haven't grown before

Debs

[antipodes]

debs, Delicatesse means Delicateness! So they will be slim and dainty I expect :D
Well I do expect the flavour to be better, not just full of water! All our veg taste so yummy, the trouble is that then we are spoilt and never want to eat veg bought elsewhere! Shoup bought tomatoes, i just find them totally foul now! Courgettes too.  I will post some pics soon to show you teh baby cuke plants!

[Debs]

You will certainly taste a difference in home grown ones :)

My delicatesse have just started to poke their heads through

Debs

[PeterVV]

I have never grown them either, but on the plot next to ours, they grew the short "spiky" ones just let them grow and spread out like pumpkin along the ground?

[davyw1]

A couple of tips when you come to plant out your cucumbers.

Do not plant the cucumber into the ground plant it just above ground level on a mound to avoid stem rot.
Do not let any fruit grow for the first two feet, this allows the plant to get established and better growth
Remove cucumbers that are ready as soon as possible to allow feed to go to other cucumbers.

[1066]

sound advice there Davy !

[antipodes]

In the end I have planted the one that started grow indoors and direct sowed 2 x 2 seeds around the same wigwam. For now, I am just worried about anything growing at all, so not at all onto the pulling off the flowers stage!  ;D
So dry here... cooling off a little though, maybe rain on the way...

[Gadget]

Antipodes so glad you brought this up as I went and got one plant and planted it by the Shed last weekend, didn't give it a second thought until now :-\

Note to self add to my list of things to do, obviously one lonely plant doesn't need a wigwam but I can put up some wire to latch onto, and whilst I'm at it I will name him Colonel. :)