How to plant cucumber plants in garden

How to plant cucumber plants in garden soil.

Cucumber seeds take several days to sprout and grow. A well-balanced mixture of sand and seedling soil can encourage your plants to grow well and flower.

Cucumber and other garden plants take a long time to grow, but there's no need to set aside a big space just to grow them. A well-balanced mixture of sand and seedling soil can encourage your plants to grow well and flower.

In this gardening guide, we’ll show you how to start cucumber plants from seeds in a nursery or garden, and transplant them into pots.

What do I need to start cucumber seeds?

If you live in the South, you’re probably familiar with the garden staple cucumber, with its small, crunchy fruits that are usually served with a wedge of salt. But it turns out that this vegetable’s days as a garden plant are numbered.

The main reason? Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The virus has been steadily spreading in the South for years, and is now found almost everywhere.

It’s a particular problem for gardeners in the South, because in most states, you’re allowed to plant only one cucumber plant per household. And when a garden in your own backyard is hit by CMV, you can’t just replace it with a new plant. You’re out of luck.

That’s why we’ve chosen to start your cucumber plants from seeds instead of seeds from plants that have been infected with CMV.

Cucumber plants are hardy perennials that you can buy or sow directly into the garden. But to successfully grow cucumbers, you’ll need some specialty plants and supplies, such as these:

Cucumber seeds, either from a garden center or the seed catalog

Cucumber fertilizer

Sand, to help the seeds germinate

Some of the special supplies you’ll need:

Cucumber fertilizer, in the form of a premixed, ready-to-spray granules that includes fertilizer, micro-organisms, and fungicides, including sulfate of ammonia, phosphorous, calcium, potassium and zinc.

Cucumber compost, for planting the seeds in your garden

Cucumber compost, for growing the plants in your garden

Cucumber netting

Cucumber ties, to secure the cucumbers as they grow and to keep the plants upright when they’re full-grown

Cucumber stakes and trellis

The following steps will get you started:

1. Buy or Grow cucumber seeds

The first step in the process is to buy or grow your own cucumber seeds. You can buy them from garden centers and online garden catalogs, or you can grow your own. Growing cucumber seeds in a greenhouse or a cold frame will ensure that you have fresh, unspoiled cucumber seeds for planting.

Once you have your own seeds, you’ll need to plan for how you’re going to plant them, depending on the type of cucumber you’re growing.

2. Prepare the soil and bed

Start by preparing the soil and your planting bed. First, dig a hole for each seed. Then place the seed in the hole, and cover it with a thin layer of soil.

Next, water the seeds thoroughly. The soil should be about three to four inches deep when you water. (Remember that you need to water only the seeds, not the bed.)

3. Water the seeds

Next, water the seeds. The key to successful planting is to water the seeds thoroughly, and then water the soil that surrounds the seeds.

4. Plant the cucumber seeds

After watering, it’s time to plant the seeds. Plant them in a sunny spot and keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out.

Keep in mind that each seed needs to be spaced at least six inches apart to ensure adequate water and air circulation.

Plant your seeds about two weeks before the first frost. Remember that warm-season plants like cucumbers can be planted and grown all season long, while cool-season plants like broccoli are planted in the spring and then harvested in the fall.

5. Mulch the seeds

Once the seeds have sprouted and the first fruits have appeared, you’ll need to cover the seeds with a layer of mulch. Mulch helps insulate the seedlings and protects them from harsh weather.

Keep in mind that although cucumbers can grow in some soil, the best soil for them is soil with good drainage. For best results, choose composted organic matter, such as leaf mold, garden bed or straw.

6. Harvest cucumbers

After a few weeks, you’ll be able to see your first cucumbers. The key to harvesting your cucumbers is to use a scythe, if you have one. Otherwise, use a long-handled hoe, or even a shovel.

If you are harvesting fruit from individual plants, you’ll want to gently pull them out of the ground. Once you have harvested your cucumbers, let them dry off and then cut them in half.

7. Store cucumbers

Cucumbers can be stored in a root cellar or an unheated basement. Keep them in a dry place with a temperature between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although cucumbers can be eaten fresh, they are most commonly used as a pickle, a salad, a snack, or a part of a meal.

8. Prevent insects and disease

To prevent cucumbers from becoming infested by aphids, plant them in rows with crops that can serve as natural barriers. Other ways to prevent cucumber pests are:

Remove any yellow, wilted or discolored areas on your cucumber plant

Seal the bottom of the row so aphids can’t climb up

Keep your plants well-watered, and keep an eye out for black spot and aphids as they appear

Use a natural aphicide at first signs of aphids

9. Save seeds

When you harvest cucumbers, carefully tear them open and pull out the seeds.

Place the seeds in an open bag or bowl, and allow them to dry. When they have reached the desired moisture level, put them in the refrigerator until they’re ready to plant them in the spring.

You can also grow a second crop of cucumbers from your leftover seed. When the plants are about 4 inches tall, cut off the fruit, and plant the seeds to grow new cucumbers.

10. Avoid pests

Although it’s possible to grow cucumbers in the ground, they are more popularly grown in raised beds.

By planting cucumbers in raised beds, you can control the water so they’ll have a longer shelf life. You also give them more air circulation so they don’t get smelly.

One of the benefits of growing cucumbers in raised beds is that you can harvest both the fruit and the vine for a second harvest. For this reason, you’ll want to plant them in a trellis system, such as a trellis or tomato cages.

11. Make a harvest

Harvesting cucumbers is simple:

Cut them from the vine when they’re fully grown

Let them dry in the sun or put