Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Cucumber in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed

October: After risk of frost

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes

Your comments and tips

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28 Nov 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
The yellow leaves might be due to too much fertilizer. Try just using one type. They should grow if you are giving them enough water and protecting from very cold nights. The female flowers have a tiny, cucumber shape just behind the flower.
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25 Nov 19, David (Australia - temperate climate)
my apple cucumber die just after they come up ,they get about 3 or 4 leaves on them then they just die off. can you help???
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02 Mar 20, Jason (Australia - temperate climate)
Not a lot of info to go on... what happened to the leaves? And how often did you water? I'd hazard a guess at overwatering/poor drainage, as from your description it happened suddenly. Or possibly pests, but I guess you'd have noticed that
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26 Nov 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
Don't have your soil boggy wet either. Have good draining soil. If very hot protect them from the sun a bit while they establish themselves.
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26 Nov 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
My first thought is watering. If hot to very hot weather little plants need watering morning and afternoon. Little plants only have a shallow root system so require watering a lot more often. If the leaves are not eaten then maybe watering. If the leaves have parts eaten off, then some kind of grub probably. Big plants need a lot of watering - just common sense. .
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16 Nov 19, Mick (Australia - temperate climate)
What fertiliser can you use on apple cucumbers crystal
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18 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A comment about WHAT fertiliser to use on different plants. In a hardware store's catalogue last week. Complete Garden Fertiliser NPKS 12-1-5-16, Fruit & Citrus 13-1-5-16, Rose 11-1-6-15. Like really, they are virtually the same fertiliser. We are brainwashed about all the different fertilisers to use. My local agronomist recommends for vegetables what the commercial farmers use Nitrophoska 12 N 5.2 P 14.1K 8S and you can have it with trace elements also. Works for me. Or if you are an organic person use organics but you need to apply about 2-3 time the required amount per square meter to have the same NPKS.
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18 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
General all-round vegetable fertiliser.
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11 Nov 19, Bhaidas Bhula (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Sometimes the cucumber plant only has male flowers. Is this normal? and sometimes the female flower forms a cucumber and shrinks and falls off.Why is this?
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11 Nov 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Most curcubits (cucumbers, courgettes etc) produce male flowers first. If the weather is cool, no female flowers appear for a while. If the immature cucumber falls off it has not been fertilised. If there are not many bees around, you can use a soft artist's brush or cotton bud, to transfer some pollen from the male stamens to the female flower.
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I grow an open pollinated variety of cucumbers (straight Eight) Two years ago I picked 83 cucumbers from two plants. This past season I only picked 18 cucumbers from two plants, 1. I had problems with cucumber beetles. Any suggestions on how to rid or control then? 2. Also, I believe that the were far less bees around to pollinate. No bees, no pollination. No pollination , no cucumbers. What is the best flower / herb that I can plant to attract pollinators to my cucumbers. Thanks

- Jack Zampella

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