With cucumbers, a distinction is made between outdoor and greenhouse cucumbers. Whether from inside or outside - most come fresh on the table. Across Germany, we eat three kilos of fresh cucumbers per capita every year. Cucumber care - simple and tried and tested for anyone who wants to harvest cucumbers in their own garden.

Thin, smooth skin and tender seeds characterize cucumbers. Modern varieties, specially bred for greenhouse or outdoor cultivation, form fruits without pollination. Like for example:

  • La Diva - bitter free, seedless, mildew resistant, 10 to 15 centimeters
  • Rimoni F1 - bitter free, tender skin, practical for on the go, mini cucumber
  • Chinese Slangen - slim classic supermarket cucumber, for greenhouse and open field
  • Marketmore - bitter free, high yielding, mildew resistant

In addition to the seeds, grafted young plants of cucumbers are also available in specialist garden shops.

Water the cucumbers properly

Cucumbers want to be watered regularly but moderately. If they get too little liquid, bitter substances can form and the fruits become inedible. Watering cucumbers in doses and watering them properly is the be-all and end-all for a lush cucumber harvest:

  • Water 2 to 3 times a week
  • Cucumbers prefer lukewarm rainwater
  • Mulch (€239.00) reduces the evaporation of irrigation water

Do not water the plants, only the soil, so that the leaves do not rot.

When is the best time to repot cucumber plants?

The best time to repot cucumbers is in spring when the moon is waxing and in autumn when the moon is waning. From May you can repot the cucumbers outdoors.

What should be considered when cutting cucumbers?

Simply tearing off instead of properly cutting cucumbers will damage the plants. A sharp knife cut stimulates renewed flowering.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers at a glance

Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow while the leaf veins remain green for a while? This process, known as chlorosis, is caused by too much lime in the soil. Cucumber plants absolutely need iron and magnesium to form leafy greens. However, lime binds these minerals in the soil so that they are no longer available for the plants. Plants that do not produce enough green leaves turn yellow. Later, the leaves turn brown and the plants wither. More about cucumber diseases and pests here.

tips and tricks

As heavy feeders, cucumbers withdraw the nutrients from the soil for four years. Therefore, a dose of biological long-term fertilizer makes sense. Cucumbers even thrive on compost or manure.

Category:

Vegetable garden