When it comes to cucumbers, a distinction is made between outdoor and greenhouse cucumbers. Whether from inside or outside – most of them come to the table fresh. Across Germany, we eat three kilos of fresh cucumbers per person every year. Cucumber care – simple and proven in practice for anyone who wants to harvest cucumbers in their own garden.
How do you care for cucumbers in the garden?
Cucumbers require regular, moderate watering, ideally with lukewarm rainwater. Pay attention to the right time to repot in spring or autumn and cut off the fruits with a sharp knife. To prevent diseases and pests, an organic long-term fertilizer is recommended.
Thin, smooth skin and tender seeds characterize cucumbers. Modern varieties, bred specifically for greenhouse or outdoor cultivation, produce fruits without pollination. Such as:
- La Diva – bitter-free, seedless, mildew resistant, 10 to 15 centimeters
- Rimoni F1 – bitter-free, delicate peel, practical for on the go, mini cucumber
- Chinese Slangen – slim classic supermarket cucumber, for greenhouse and outdoor use
- Marketmore – bitter-free, high-yielding, mildew resistant
In addition to seeds, refined young plants of cucumbers are also available in specialist garden shops.
Water cucumbers correctly
Cucumbers need to be watered regularly but moderately. If you don't get enough liquid, bitter substances can form and the fruits become inedible. Watering cucumbers in a measured manner 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 reduces the evaporation of irrigation water
Don't water the plants, just the soil so that the leaves don't rot.
When is the best repotting time for 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 you pay attention to when cutting cucumbers?
Simply tear it off, instead of cutting cucumbers properly, it damages the plants. A sharp knife cut stimulates new flower formation.
Cucumber diseases and pests at a glance
Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow while the leaf veins remain green for a while? This process, called 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 to 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 & Tricks
As heavy feeders, cucumbers remove nutrients from the soil for four subsequent years. Therefore, giving biological long-term fertilizer makes sense. Cucumbers even thrive on compost or manure.
