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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14 Sep 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I planted borage about 4 mths ago and it has attracted a lot of bees. I recently planted some more bee attracting flowers.
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20 Feb 18, Jim (Australia - temperate climate)
What is the best variety to grow in the Bendigo area to make cucumber pickles (4-6kgs per batch)
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21 Feb 18, John (Australia - temperate climate)
We grow a variety called Biet Alpha and picked copious amounts of cucumbers off it. It is a more traditional green cucumber with bristle patches on the skin. The cucumbers were about 15-18 cm long but the size is certainly compensated by the yield.
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20 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Go to internet seed selling companies - Boondie Seed, Collection, New Life and look through the varieties there. You need a burping variety I have read.
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01 Feb 18, Margaret (Australia - temperate climate)
My apple cucumbers have flowers but no cucumbers there are lots of lady Beatles on them do not like to use a chemical spray could that be the reason?
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05 Feb 18, Darren (Australia - arid climate)
By lady beetles, I assume you mean ladybugs. They are a beneficial insect so I wouldn't recommend spraying them. I am having the same problem; apparently it has something to do with the extreme heat.
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05 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check to see you have female and male flowers. There can be up to 7 times more male than female flowers. Usually on the vines come male flowers first and then produces female flowers. The female may only be open for 1 day. Do some hand pollinating. Look up the internet for a youtube video.
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28 Jan 18, JOHN schofield (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Help I got such nice fruit but they get stung and I cut off the worst part deep cut and eat rest taste great so my question what do I do as I don’t spray and they grow against a wall ,
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30 Jan 18, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I take it you mean they are stung by some insect. Try and find an organic spray on the internet. Try and work out what the insect is.
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28 Dec 17, Tony (Australia - temperate climate)
Can you freeze Apple Cucumbers. As I have tons of them all growing at the same time
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Showing 161 - 170 of 497 comments
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Have you had a lot of humidity (higher than usual) lately ? If so, your plants may be having a hard time transpiring. Transpiration is the process of releasing moisture (like sweating and evaporation rolled into one). Plants suck up water through their roots and move the water up through their stems and into their leaves, where they release the water (transpiration). Only about 5-10% of the water they intake is used for growth - the rest is released into the environment. The movement of water facilitates the movement of nutrients. So if the movement of water is SLOWED due to really high humidity (and this mostly happens in greenhouses when they are not properly ventilated) plants start to show signs of nutrient deficiencies of all kinds (maybe blossom end rot in tomatoes despite having plenty of bio-available calcium in the soil). That is to say; you could have a lot of misleading signs like: blossom end rot, or nitrogen deficiency (honestly I'm not sure which nutrients need the most water to be moved).....but the take away is the signs could be really confusing, and appear totally illogical. This only happens in high humidity situations; again like an improperly vented greenhouse, or if somehow you have managed to trap the humidity in your space...... this is a long shot.....but I lived on the Gold Coast (Broad Beach area) 30+ years ago...... and I still remember how humid it could get... especially further North. Clearly, some plants are better at moving the water in high humidity situations....tomatoes tend to have difficulty in very high humidity. Ensuring proper air flow may be helpful.

- Celeste Archer

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