Cucumber Seeds

How to Grow Cucumber

Know Your Cucumbers – Flavour & Kitchen Uses

• Slicing (“salad”) cucumbers – crisp, mild and refreshing; perfect raw in salads, sandwiches or chilled soups.
• Pickling (gherkin) types – firm-fleshed, slightly tangier; ideal harvested small for brined or vinegar pickles.
• Beit Alpha / Middle-Eastern mini cucumbers – thin-skinned, almost seedless and very sweet; superb for snacking whole or adding to mezze plates.
• Novelty & specialty – Lemon, Armenian “snake”, Asian yard-long, plus African Horned Cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus) and Cucamelon (Melothria scabra). All grow like regular cucumbers and bring unique shapes, colours and flavours to salads, salsas and pickles.

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Ave. Seeds per Gram: Approx. 30 – 40 seeds 

Optimal Germination: 18 – 35 °C (germination in 7 – 10 days)

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Feed Requirements:

Moderate to high feeders. Work plenty of aged compost or well-rotted manure into the bed pre-sowing, then:

• At 4–6 true leaves: side-dress with a balanced organic fertiliser or slow-release pellets.
• When vines set fruit: fortnightly liquid feed (fish/seaweed or compost tea).
• Keep soil consistently moist to avoid bitter fruit and nutrient lock-out.

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Growing Notes:

Climate & Timing:

• Tender, warm-season crop – sow only after all frost risk and when soil is 18 °C+.
• In cool regions start seed indoors 3 – 4 weeks early and transplant gently once nights stay above 12 °C.

Spacing & Depth:

• Direct sow 6-10 mm deep.
• Bush forms: 40 cm apart in rows 60-100 cm apart.
• Vining forms/trellised: 30 cm apart along a sturdy support; allow 2 m² if left to sprawl.

Variety Selection:

Choose early-maturing cultivars (<75 days) for cool summers; heat-tolerant, disease-resistant hybrids where summers are hot and humid.

Consider parthenocarpic (self-fruiting) varieties for poly-tunnels or bee-poor gardens.

General Care:

• Mulch well to conserve moisture and keep fruit clean.
• Water at soil level; avoid wetting foliage to limit powdery mildew.
• Train vines up a trellis for straighter fruit, better airflow and easier harvesting.
• Hand-pollinate with a soft brush if female flowers abort through poor bee activity.

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Common Problems & Pests:

• Aphids & cucumber beetles: blast off with water or apply insecticidal soap / pyrethrin; attract ladybirds.
• Powdery mildew: improve airflow, remove affected leaves, spray with sulphur or milk solution at first sign.
• Spider mites: keep plants well-watered, spray with horticultural oil.
• Fruit drop / poor set: usually low pollination – encourage bees or hand-pollinate.
• Sunscald: retain leaf canopy in mid-summer or drape light shade cloth on extreme days.
• Possums, birds, etc.: netting or wire cages; deterrent sprays of garlic-chilli work short-term.

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Harvesting Notes:

When to Harvest:

• Pick when skins are glossy, green and fruit is still firm;
• Younger fruit taste sweeter and keep plants productive.

How to Harvest:

• Snip stems with secateurs or a sharp knife, leaving a short stub to avoid tearing vines.
• Check plants every 2–3 days – regular picking boosts yield.

Storage & Use:

• Refrigerate in a perforated bag for up to a week.
• For long storage, pickle immediately after picking.
• Excess harvest also freezes well as puréed cucumber soup cubes.

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Enjoy the crisp, cool crunch of home-grown cucumbers – and remember: if life ever leaves you in a bit of a pickle, just stay cuke and carry on!