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

18 Nov 14, bruce (Australia - tropical climate)
apple cucumber lots of fruit & flowers but not getting any bigger
13 Nov 14, chris edwards (Australia - temperate climate)
do apple cucumbers need bees to polinate
09 Nov 14, Stevie (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i plant these right next to a mesh fence so they grow up the fence?
06 Nov 14, lindsay (Australia - temperate climate)
my cucumber plant outside leaves are drying but they seem to be shooting from the centre .is this natural .this is the ist time i have tried to grow them
16 Nov 15, Charmaine Embleton (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hello Faiz, you can buy english cucumber seeds from - Livingseeds.co.za - have a look & get them on-line. They have a wide variety of heirloom seedlings... Regards Charmaine
15 Jul 14, Harry Dzimba (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I WANT TO GROW CUCUMBER. IAM ASKING FOR THE BEST TIME TO START GROWING
02 Jun 14, Jay (Australia - temperate climate)
How much water do cucumber need
15 Jun 14, Dede (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Because they are 99% water! you need to water them everyday
28 May 14, john (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I am in limpopo Nwanedi i want know the season to plant butternut.I would like you to send me the spay program for butternut,tomatoes,cabbage,maize,pumpkin.i would you to iclude fertilizer program.
14 May 14, Pertrcia F (Australia - temperate climate)
I was doing a project for school and this website helps a lot. Because guess what? I got an A+! OMG!
Showing 301 - 310 of 497 comments

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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