Growing Cucumbers in a Short Season: Timing, Trellising and Pollination
Cucumbers grow fast once they get going, but they sulk in cold soil and cold air. In a short season, the key is waiting for real warmth, giving them a short head start indoors and making sure the flowers get pollinated.
The short answer
- Start indoors 2 to 3 weeks before planting out; transplant at 10 to 14 days old.
- Plant out about 2 weeks after your last frost, when days and nights stay at 18°C or warmer.
- Direct sow only once the soil reaches about 18°C.
- Remove row covers when flowers appear, and harvest often, starting in mid-July.
Based on the University of Saskatchewan cucumber guide.
Starting cucumbers indoors
- Sow 2 seeds 1 cm deep per pot and keep the strongest.
- Seeds germinate in 5 to 6 days at about 24°C.
- Give at least 14 hours of light a day.
- Harden off for at least 3 days, then plant out when they have one or two true leaves. Older transplants suffer more shock.
Planting out
- Space plants 25 cm apart in rows 90 cm apart.
- Bury the whole root ball and tear off any exposed pot rim, which can wick moisture away.
- Warm the bed first with clear plastic for two weeks, then use black plastic mulch, row covers or low tunnels.
- A cutworm collar pushed 5 cm into the soil protects young plants where cutworms are a problem.
Grow them up
A trellis or stakes save space, keep fruit clean and straight, and improve air flow, which helps prevent powdery mildew.
Varieties
- Pickling (NDSU, via USask): Calypso, Eureka, Homemade Pickles, H-19 Little Leaf, Alibi.
- Slicing: Dasher II, General Lee, Diva, Straight Eight, Sweet Success, Salad Bush, Orient Express II.
Salad Bush and other compact types suit containers and small beds.
Pollination
Male flowers appear first; female flowers, with a tiny cucumber at the base, follow 7 to 10 days later. Cold, rainy or cloudy weather keeps bees away. If you see small cucumbers shrivel, hand-pollinate early in the morning by brushing pollen from a male flower onto the centre of the female flowers. Take covers off as soon as flowers open.
Water and feed
- About 2.5 cm of water a week early on, and twice that from mid-July.
- Dry soil gives small, bitter cucumbers.
- Feed with a balanced soluble fertilizer weekly before fruit set and twice weekly after.
Harvest
Most varieties need 45 to 65 days. Once they start, check plants daily from mid-July until frost and pick in the morning. Pickles are best at 5 to 8 cm, dills at 10 to 15 cm. Cut with about 1 cm of stem. Cucumbers keep 1 to 3 days in the fridge, or about two weeks at 5 to 10°C.
Keep reading
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant cucumbers outside?
About two weeks after your last frost, when day and night temperatures stay at 18°C or warmer.
When should I start cucumber seeds indoors?
Only two to three weeks before planting out. Transplant at 10 to 14 days old.
Why are my small cucumbers turning yellow and falling off?
Usually poor pollination, common in cold or cloudy weather. Hand-pollinate early in the morning and remove row covers once flowers open.
Why are my cucumbers bitter?
Dry soil is a common cause. Water about 2.5 cm a week early on and twice that from mid-July.
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