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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03 Oct 15, Barbara mason (Australia - temperate climate)
All my apple cucumber seedling have been eaten, what do I use to prevent this happening when I plant again next week?
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24 Aug 15, Mojo (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
The effect of temperature especially the fruit quality
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12 Aug 15, Jammie (Australia - temperate climate)
They haven't pollinated. If no bees are in your area you will have to manually polinate them.
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12 Aug 15, Anita (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
I am in Zone 7b. I tried some Asian cucumbers - they turned out pretty well this year - you should consider giving them a try. They got up to 1-2 feet. Check them out here -> earthlychow. com/asian-cucumber-tien-chin-long
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23 Mar 15, kate (Australia - temperate climate)
First time gardener , planted cucumber were growing nicely one day next day all leaves are eaten look awful black spots on underneath of the leaves - what is it and can I save what I have left ?
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30 Jan 15, Priscilla (Australia - temperate climate)
My cucumbers are light green in colour, huge, and odd shaped. some of the stems were prickly is that right.
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11 Dec 15, Bill (Australia - temperate climate)
yep should be prickly like on the stems and leaves and fruit
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27 Jan 15, andy. (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Ihave some apple cucumbers growing.Some plants have a good crop others have none at all.What is going on?
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08 Nov 15, Ashley Duffin (Australia - arid climate)
This sounds like a pollination problem. if you are using bug sprays , avoid using during flowering. having more of the same plants close together (high density plantings) can aid this also , although a use of trellising to keep area workable may be needed, to avoid mildew diseases. If sprinkler watering try doing this when pollination insects are less active to stimulate more productive pollination.
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25 Jan 15, Kerry (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted a couple of cucumber plants. I had never done this before. Next thing I know these pumpkin looking plants popped up. (Had no idea what they were. Thought I had been given wrong plants in my punnet. ). Now I have heaps of apple cumbers but the leaves on the plants look different. One darker than the other. The darker plant is providing no fruit, the other is very generous. Should I keep the plant with the darker leaves or discard
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Showing 271 - 280 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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