With their crunchy texture and mild flavor, cucumbers make a welcome addition to salads, soups, pickles and more. The bonus is they’re easy to cultivate in the home garden. “Grow Your Own Cucumbers,” by Oregon State University Extension Service Agriculture Educator Russel Smith-Ollivierre, gives tips to make growing cucumbers a snap.
“Cucumbers are tender, warm-season vegetables that produce well with proper care,” said Smith-Ollivierre. They belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, along with squash, pumpkins, muskmelons and gourds. They range from small pinky sized gherkins to large ones 20 inches or more. They can be green, white or yellow.
Cucumber varieties vary in their days to maturity, with early-maturing varieties requiring as little as 50 days at relatively high temperatures (75 to 85F) to reach harvest, while late-maturing varieties may take up to 70 days, according to the publication.
Most cucumbers require significant space to grow. Small-space gardeners, though, have a few options, said Smith-Ollivierre.
First, you can grow the vines up against a trellis or fence as long as it is sturdy enough to handle the weight of mature cucumbers. Another option is to plant bush or dwarf hybrids which require less space to grow. You can also use larger hanging baskets or other containers to grow compact or bush varieties.
Read on for planting and cultivation tips