Everyone knows them small crisp, long thin and even in blue: cucumbers. The first cucumbers will be available in the greenhouse from July. The fruits from the blue cucumber tree and outdoor cucumbers need a little more time. They follow three to four weeks later. Which cucumbers are ripe when? The four most important harvesting tips.

When can I finally harvest cucumbers?

Whether for a snack, as a salad, soup, vegetables or as a cooling mask - cucumbers from your own garden or balcony taste delicious and are versatile. With proper cucumber care and fertilization, recreational gardeners will reap cucumbers in abundance.

Already 3 weeks after flowering cucumbers ripen. If sown early in the greenhouse, they will be ripe by the end of May. In the open air from July to October. The harvest time depends on the intended use of the respective cucumbers:

  • Gherkins - the smallest gherkins from 4 to 6 centimeters
  • Delicatessen cucumbers - for pickling from 6 to 12 centimeters
  • Salad cucumbers - depending on the variety from 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Gherkins - are ready to harvest as soon as the skin turns yellow

Cucumbers taste best when they have not yet reached the size of supermarket cucumbers. Once they turn yellow, they are overripe.

Harvesting cucumbers regularly increases the yield

You really can't harvest cucumbers too early. It is best to lose weight regularly and not let it get too big. If you leave cucumbers on the plant for too long, you risk watering them down, becoming bitter and sometimes shedding subsequent crops in the early stages. Therefore, immediately remove overripe fruit from the plant so as not to weaken it unnecessarily. So let's get to the delicious pickles ;-).
Ideally, you can harvest fresh cucumbers twice a week until the end of October.

The 4 most important cucumber harvesting tips

  • Harvest cucumbers as young as possible. This guarantees the highest vitamin content and the best taste.
  • Harvest cucumbers in the morning or early morning when they have the most nutrients.
  • Cut off the cucumbers with a sharp knife so as not to damage the shoots and tendrils.
  • Pinch off new blossoms at the end of September so that existing fruits can still ripen

tips and tricks

This is bitter - cucumbers react bitterly in stressful situations such as cold, heavy rain or water that is too cold. The bitter substances are distributed from the base of the stem into the cucumber. Therefore, the cucumber end sometimes still tastes bitter and can be eaten. The fact that cucumbers become bitter is genetic. Incorrect care can promote this.

Category:

Vegetable garden