Whether pickled, as a s alty snack or plain: they taste crunchy, delicious and are he althy. Although there are over 40 species of cucumbers, pickles and green cucumbers are usually the same plant: Cucumis sativus. Plant pickling cucumbers - this is how they thrive and bring more yield.
How is the cultivation of pickling cucumbers successful?
Pickling cucumbers thrive best in a sunny, wind-protected location in loose, light soil with a pH of 7.0. Start sowing the seeds in a mini greenhouse at the beginning of April, plant them outdoors from mid-May and ensure a planting distance of 60 cm and a row spacing of 1.50 m.
Small and harvested early, they are pickling cucumbers. If you wait longer, you will harvest ripe cucumbers. Particularly resistant and easy-care F1 hybrid varieties:
- Regal – small, fine and high-yielding variety
- White Spangenberg – robust, white to golden yellow fruits
- Footland grapes – early ripe and aromatic
- Sikkim cucumber – aromatic, Indian variety
Which location do pickling cucumbers prefer?
Cucumber plants are sensitive to frost and are only allowed outside when the soil temperature is above 10 degrees. Sunlight is the most important source of nutrients for photosynthesis. It warms the soil and guarantees that the cucumber seeds germinate. When growing cucumbers outdoors, choose a warm, full-sun location that is as sheltered from the wind as possible.
Greenhouse cucumbers don't know bad weather. Light, warmth and weather protection guarantee he althy growth and an early harvest.
Which soil do pickling cucumbers feel particularly comfortable in?
The ideal soil for pickling cucumbers is loose, light and sandy. Keep the soil flat and cover with mulch. This protects the sensitive roots, prevents dryness and saves having to pull out weeds. A neutral to slightly alkaline soil with a pH value of 7.0 is optimal.
Prefer pickling cucumbers – later is sooner
Growing pickles yourself is very easy. Sow cucumber seeds in the mini greenhouse at the beginning of April. As a dark germinator, cucumber seeds will sprout, lightly covered with soil, on a warm, bright windowsill within a week. If you sow earlier, you risk them getting too big too quickly before they can go outdoors from mid-May.
The right timing from flowering to harvest time
The harvest of greenhouse cucumbers begins at the end of May. Plants grown outdoors are fully grown in mid-July. If they turn yellow, they are overripe. Important: Regularly cutting the ripe cucumbers from the plant promotes the ripening of other fruits. Ideally, you can enjoy fresh organic cucumbers every week until late autumn.
Small cucumbers large distance
Small pickling cucumbers require as much planting distance as large snake cucumbers. It's not the size of the cucumbers that matters, but the plant. Place them 60 centimeters apart. The row spacing should be approximately 1.50 meters. Outdoors you can plant two to three cucumber plants per square meter.
Tips & Tricks
You can plant 2 to 3 pickling cucumbers per square meter outdoors. It's best to place them in black mulch and put in a watering hose. This saves work and water.
