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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20 Jan 15, Don ride (Australia - temperate climate)
When should these be picked.When do you know they are ripe How long will they keep My plants seem to be bearing lots
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17 Jan 15, Summer (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
. Press a male and female flower together (still attached to the plant) so the male dust and female dust mixes. This is how you make cucumbers
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06 Jan 15, Caitlin (Australia - arid climate)
I have my veggie garden at home it is full with lettuce, tomato, corn, capsicum, cucumber and beans. My cucumber plant was getting bigger and was starting to kill my other plants so I decided to replant it when it had cucumbers on it. Now they are dying but it is hot so what can I do?? Was it the right thing to do ??
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04 Jan 15, Karl (Australia - temperate climate)
Never water your cucumbers at evening as that's what causes the mildew on leaves. You don't need to spray with anything just eliminate the cause don't treat the symptom. Water between 5 and 9 in the morning when their nutrient uptake is at its best.
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03 Jan 15, pete (Australia - temperate climate)
I have tried to grow apple cucumbers for 3 years now without success i live in south brisbane is it the climate that is the problem they look great full of flowers but no fruit
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09 Jan 15, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, ours were the same, plenty of male flowers, then the female flowers (they have a very small cucumber at the base of the flower) came and then the cucumbers came. If they have female flowers already but no cucumber they may not be getting pollinated. I planted basil to attract the bees to my veggie patch. Hope this helps.
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16 Jan 16, olly (Australia - arid climate)
I plant sun flowers in pots they are cheap and easy to grow and great for attracting bees for pollination
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03 Jan 15, Roy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Excellent tip about the milk and whey Nicole, one day when I found that milk that was too off to use I thought about just that, Another use for it was that flying foxes don't like it.
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02 Jan 15, Allen Lee (Australia - temperate climate)
Possibly possums are eating your apple cucumber they love the juicy inners also could be a rodent they go for the seeds or if you have rabbits in the area they will munch on anything they do this not just for eating but to keep those front teeth from getting too big.
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02 Jan 15, Doris thomas (Australia - arid climate)
When is the right time to pick Apple cucumber
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Showing 281 - 290 of 497 comments
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If you have TRUE high humidity: humidex above 95% consistently -- then you have a real issue. If you have a "created" high humidity situation: like a poorly ventilated greenhouse; then correcting the ventilation will fix things. You can create an updraft by placing a screened window/door very close to ground level (or the lowest level that opens to fresh air) and then furthest and highest away from this point another screened window (on the ceiling/roof, or very high on the wall). So if you have a door on the North/East Bottom. the window goes on the South/West Top. When both of the windows are open, you should get a nice updraft that will whisk away all your humidity. It is best to situate the ground level door/window in a shady spot -- because this will be cooler air, and as this comes in it will force the hot/humid air up and out. There are also green house fans that can be installed (but if you do your updraft correctly you will probably not need one) ; and if you are fully indoors even a dehumidifier might work. If you are in a garden setting like the situation above; I think perhaps the cucumber created a roof that was helping hold in the moisture. In this case prune the cucumber to increase airflow. Things like fences can hold moisture; for example if you have a garden between two houses and there is a wood picket fence; this could impede the flow of air, and cause humidity to build up. The answer will ALMOST always be to increase air flow. If this is a true climate issue then you should select what you are growing with care, choosing plants that can tolerate high humidity; and still trying to situate your plants/garden in such a way that air flows freely. I have an allotment, that has "dense" fencing on two sides (I am in the back corner) and I can feel that I have an extra humid situation. I have found that runner beans do well; once they climb higher than fence level, they get a lot of air flow and do nicely. As far a hydroponics; I am not well versed enough to even begin guessing at the issues that may exist in these environments. Just remember that even when the humidex is NOT high, plants still need the airflow to move what they have transpired away from their leaves.

- Celeste Archer

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