Gardening Tips To Grow Cucumber Plants

A green patch at your garden could be a treasure trove of vegetables and fruits. And while having a green thumb for a variety of plants and herbs, cucumber is one if them that can be grown at home if nurtured with the right amount of care and nourishment. Cucumber is fourth largest cultivated vegetables in the world.

With the onset of summer, cucumber is just the right vegetable to grow in your garden. Savouring the crisp bite and the cool and refreshing flavour when they are pickled is something you don't want to miss.

Here are a few gardening tips that you can follow before you plant a cucumber and reap the benefits of it.

Cucumbers love summer- Although cool by nature, cucumbers love and thrive in heat. Make sure you plant them in early spring when the soil has just warmed up a bit. It helps in germination of seeds and proper growth of plants.

Hydration- Watering the plants for at least about 1-2 inches per week, especially when they are flowering and bearing the fruit, is very important as it needs a lot of moisture to grow. If the cucumber plants are not hydrated properly, it can make them taste bitter.

Fertilise- Fertilisation is very important gradening tip for growing cucumebr in your garden. Cucumbers need a well-rotted and compost manure to grow since they provide the right nutrients and moisture. The pH balance of the soil must be 6 to 7 for it to thrive.

Space and air circulation- If you find the leaves to be yellow as they grow, then is an indication that they need more nitrogen. So, make more space for the plant by shifting it to a larger pot. This will supply and balance ample light, air and nutrients to the growing cucumber plant.

De-weeding- Cucumbers are affected by weeds, insects, bacterial wilt, mildew and other diseases. these affect the plant and curb the growth. It is important to keep them weed and insect free. They must be regularly controlled while planting cucumber. It is also important not to use too many insecticides while pollinating. Using a brown or a black mulch will also keep the weeds away. Mulch also improves the overall cucumber production by keeping the moisture balance in the soil.

Harvesting cucumbers- The fruits are ready for harvesting when they have reached 2- 4 inches (depending on the variety), which is about 50-70 days from planting. They must not turn yellow, as the vegetable tends to become bitter with size. It is said that, the shorter and immature the cucumber, the better and crisp it tastes.

Storage- Because of their high water content, cucumber cant be stored for more than a week in the refrigerator as it could form mildew and spoil the entire lot.

Try these gardening tips to grow cucumber plants at home. Set the perfect and green vegetable garden.