How to grow cucumber in a garden
Fresh, light, and tasty, cucumbers are the perfect ingredient to throw into your summer salads, dip with tzatziki, or thinly slice for sandwiches. With all these dishes and more, why not grow your own? You’ll have a constant supply over the warmer months and you’ll be as cool as a cucumber sharing your harvest with family and friends. They don’t need a lot of room to grow either – you can train them to grow on a trellis, fence, or tripod to help save space.
How to grow cucumber in a garden
- Choose a sunny spot in the garden and enrich the soil with Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed.
- Sow 4-5 seeds into mounds of moist soil spaced 40cm apart and water well.
- As seedlings grow, thin seedlings and leave only the two strongest. Mulch around the base of the plant with organic mulch like pea or lucerne straw to retain moisture.
- Feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
- To save space, train cucumber vines to grow on a fence or trellis – tie young stems to wire support, and eventually, the tendrils will cling to the wire.
- Pick fruit regularly to prolong the harvest.
Watch this video to see how to grow lettuce in the garden
How to grow cucumber in a pot
Cucumbers grow best in the garden, but can still grow well in pots. They like to spread, so if you’re short on space, it’s best to train vines to grow up on a trellis.
- Choose a pot or trough at least 400mm wide and deep. Position in full sun and protection from strong winds.
- Fill the pot with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix. Sow 4-5 seeds cover lightly, and water well.
- Feed weekly with Yates Thrive Natural Fish Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
- As seedlings grow, thin seedlings and leave only the two strongest. Position a trellis behind the pot or a tripod frame in the middle and tie young stems to the support. Eventually, the tendrils will cling to the wire.
- Pick fruit regularly to prolong the harvest.
Growing tips
Keep moist always, as drying out may cause bitterness in cucumbers.
Failure to set fruit is often due to cold weather or the absence of pollinators, such as bees. You can hand pollinate to help – simply pick a male flower (the smaller yellow flower without fruit forming at the base) and touch it lightly onto the center stem of the female flower.
Keep moist always, as drying out may cause bitterness in cucumbers.
Failure to set fruit is often due to cold weather or the absence of pollinators, such as bees. You can hand pollinate to help – simply pick a male flower (the smaller yellow flower without fruit forming at the base) and touch it lightly onto the center stem of the female flower.
