Cucumis sativus
Botanical Name
Cucumis sativus
Hardiness
Annual
Height
1 to 6 feet
Width
1 to 6 feet
Flowers
Mid summer to early fall: yellow
Fruit
Wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors
Light
Full sun
Soil
Moist, well-drained, fertile
Planting and Care
Direct sow when danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed or start indoors and transplant. Space transplants 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 5 to 6 feet apart. Trellis to save space and improve air circulation. Adequate moisture is important to cucumber growth. Mulch the soil to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Successive plant every 2 to 3 weeks until about 3 months before the first frost date for a continual harvest.
Harvesting
Harvest cucumbers based on their use. Pick for sweet pickles when they are 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. Allow those for dill pickles to reach 3 to 4 inches in length, and pick slicing cucumbers when they are firm, bright green and 6 to 9 inches long. Harvest burpless cucumbers when they are 10 to 12 inches long.
Problems
Cucumber beetles, aphids, squash vine borer, bacterial wilt, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus
Varieties to Consider
'Burpless' - long fruit, good for trellising
'Straight 8' - AAS winner, 8" straight fruit
'Fanfare' - AAS winner, good disease resistance, high yield
'Straight 8' - AAS winner, 8" straight fruit
'Fanfare' - AAS winner, good disease resistance, high yield
Borago officinalis
Last year, our cucumbers were bitter. What causes this and how can I change it?
Every year my cucumbers bloom, the blossoms drop, and I do not get any fruit.
I am growing cucumbers in a container this summer. The leaves suddenly developed brown spots. The plant is still producing cucumbers.
My problem is with cucumbers and any type of squash. They will start with a bloom, grow about 1/2 inch and than get rotten and fall off. What am I doing wrong?
Cucumis melo
My melon and cucumber plants appear healthy, but there is no sign of fruit. The blossom forms, falls off, but no fruit forms.
For the last three years squash bugs have sucked the life out of my pumpkins, melons and squash. I prefer not to use insecticides but really do not want to give up growing these vegetables. Please help.
Last year all my vine crops such as pumpkins, cucumbers, squash and cantaloupe wilted and died. There were no signs of insects and neither fungicide nor insecticide seemed to help.
Citrullus lanatus
Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. pepo
