Urban Gardening: How To Grow Cucumbers

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Cucumber Plant

Cucumber is a vine that roots in the soil and grows up in support frames. It has large leaves that shade the fruits. There are four major varieties of cucumber – slicing, pickling, gherkin, and burpless.

Slicing cucumber is the most common variety that is eaten fresh. It is longer, smoother, uniform in color, and tougher skin.

Pickling cucumbers are cultivated for pickles. It has a less-regular shape, yellow to pale green, and bumpy skin with white or black-spotted spines.

Gherkin cucumbers are also called baby cucumbers. The fruit is about 2.5-12.5 centimeters long with bumpy skin. These are also grown to be pickled.

Burpless cucumbers are sweeter and have thinner skin compared to other varieties. These are easy to digest and do not produce gas which is the reason it was called burpless.

Cucumber have also health benefits.

It is mostly 96% water which makes it good for hydration and a low-calorie fruit (about 45 calories) but it has several vitamins (C and K), and minerals (potassium, manganese, and magnesium).

Cucumbers are also known to possess anti-oxidants like flavonoids and tannins which aids in the prevention of chronic disease while the peel can help constipation and promotes regular bowel movement.

But how to grow cucumber? Let me share with you how I grow cucumbers in our mini-garden.

Cucumber needs well-drained, fertile soil placed where the plants can have enough sunlight. 

Since cucumber seeds are considered large, it can be planted directly into the soil to about 1-inch deep.

After a week, a sprout is already visible.

Cucumber seedlings

Cucumbers are water-loving. It needs to be watered consistently. Mulching the soil can help retain water.

After a few weeks, large leaves will start to emerge as the plant grows.

Followed by tendrils. This means that frame or terills must be placed beside the plant for it to climb as it continously grows.

The tendrills

After a month, it will start bearing tiny, yellow flowers.

Cucumber Flower

Also, tiny fruits start to appear.

Tiny cucumber fruit

Actually, cucumber bears two types of flowers, the male and female. Female flowers have already the fruits at the base of the petals while a male has not.

Female flower of cucumber

Male flower of cucumber

There is a probability that flowers may be all male at the start but after few weeks, female and male flowers will bloom at the same time.

After few days, the fruit is ready for picking by cutting the stem above the fruit. Becareful not to damage the vine. It is best to harvest cucmber before the seeds gets hard.

Once started harvesting, you may be able to collect fruits every other week.