Growing and Saving the Seed Of Cucumbers
Latin name Cucumis sativis is believed to have originated in India and to be descended from a wild cucurbit native to the Himalayas. Their diverse forms and flavors make cucumber a truly global crop.
HISTORY
Cucumbers are believed to have been cultivated in Asia since about 1000 BC. Cleopatra is said to have credited her beauty to a steady diet of pickled cucumbers.
USES
- Culinary


- Direct seed cucumbers ½ inch deep when soil has warmed to at least 65 degrees, or two weeks after the last spring frost.
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Create one-foot mounds about 2.5 feet apart; plant 5 seeds in each mound. Once plants are 3-4 inches tall, thin to one in each mound, leaving the strongest plant.
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For an early crop, start indoors 1 week before last frost date; transplant out when plants are 3 weeks old. Cucumbers that remain in pots longer than 3 weeks become stunted and will grow slowly!
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Seeds germinate in 7-14 days.
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Ideal temperature is between 70-90 F.


- Cucumbers need abundant soil moisture and rich soil.
Some afternoon shade is beneficial in the hottest weather of summer.
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Trellis cukes to save space and make weeding, mulching and harvesting easier. Harvest frequently to maintain production.
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Cucumbers will peak quickly and die, so it is best to succession plant cucumbers every two weeks until late summer.
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Radishes are a great companion plant for cucumbers.
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A layer of mulch will retain moisture and suppress weeds.
PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Cucumbers produce both male and female flowers, but only female flowers produce fruit. At the beginning of the flowering stage, mostly male flowers will appear; you will have to be patient until the females start to flower and fruit.
- Rain or cold temperatures can inhibit pollination, which is necessary for fruiting. Pollination will resume when the weather improves.
- Cucumber beetle is a pest common throughout the U.S. Often the beetles will chew small cucumber seedlings to the ground or damage the vines. Covering plants with a floating row cover when young will help, although you need to remove the cover when pollination time arrives. Interplant tansy and nasturtiums to repel the pests.


- Cucumbers are annuals, so they will set fruit and produce seed in the first season.
- Cucumbers rely upon insects to pollinate their flowers; for this reason it is best to isolate each variety by 1⁄2 to 1 mile from other varieties to avoid cross-pollination.
- For those gardeners in more densely populated areas, with neighboring cucumbers threatening to cross-pollinate, caging can help to ensure pure seed, although it will require hand pollination.
- Because the plants have male and female flowers, pollination occurs easily without degrading the vigor of the seed stock. (Many other plants need to pollinate flowers from a separate plant). Just a few plants will produce lots of healthy seeds.
- Properly saved seeds should store for up to 10 years.
