HOW TO GROW CUCUMBER AT HOME

“Is it possible to grow cucumber at home”, if it is possible so we can say that how and when we can grow cucumber at home, because cucumber is a warmed season plant so  we must go for a place which is sunny, generally 20 to 35 degree centigrade temperature is required for growing cucumber. 

We can grow cucumber in pots and our kitchen garden, cucumber can be tricky to grow in pots since they require a  lot of vertical space. It can be done however if you select a bush variety instead of climbing variety. So we have two types of variety of cucumber first it is vine type and another the bush type. Always use well-draining nutritional soil and keep it moist throughout the growing season to help your potted cucumber plant grow.

Steps that required to grow cucumber:

1. we will chose a bush variety of cucumber to grow, because it is easier to grow it in pots than vine varieties, which needs a trellis to climb and spread out.

2. Selection of pot:

We will chose a pot which will be wide in diameter and as well as deep too. If you want to grow more than one  plant in a single pot, try a container that is wide  in diameter and holds 6 gallons.

• If we use a container for outside go for a large container if you can. It will retain moisture more effectively.
• We can use  rectangular pot if you add trellis for the cucumber to grow on.

3. Add holes in pot if pot does not have it: because standing water can cause root damage, look for pot that already has drainage holes, if possible. Just flip it over to see if it has holes in the bottom.

• If you pot does not have a hole use a drill to make a holes, holes should be 6  to 13 mm bit.

4. Clean your pot completely with hot water and soap:

It will reduce bacteria that may cause harm to root, if you have used this pot for another plant before, if it may have hidden insect eggs that will attack to your cucumbers.

Scrub it down thoroughly with the brush and soapy water, rinse it out several times to make sure you get all the soaps out.

5. Go for a stake. Vine cucumbers require a trellis or stake to grow. Even  bush cucumber does not require staking, but they will get benefit  from it. To do it use 3 stakes or bamboo poles. Gather them together at the top and tie them together with a yarn. Make a tepee stake(tepee refers to conical shape), a tepee stake will help cucumber to climb along it from the start, stake will need to be touched along the corners.

6. Fill the pot with a well-draining soil mix:

If you want to mix your own soil try merging 1 part sand with 1 part of compost and 1 part peat moss, other wised you can use premixed potting soil which is produced for growing vegetables.

• Put the mix into pot, carefully fix it in around the stake. Do not make it too compact, whenever your cucumber plant’s roots need lose to soil to grow in, leave approximently 1 inch of empty space between the surface of soil and rim of pot.
• Try to wiggle around the stake in the pot. If it still move around a pot try to pack more potting mix which we prepared earlier in the pot to stabilize stake.
• Do not use garden soil, which may be contaminated by bacteria and pests.

7. Boost nutrition by adding good fertilizer:

• Chose an organic fertilizer if you want to grow healthy cucumber, this will give no harms to your body.
• Use a potting soil that already has fertilizer mixed in.
• The number on a bag of fertilizer indicate how much nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium the fertilizer contain, each element nourishes different parts effectively

8. Sow your seeds: cucumber needs the soil to reach at least 20 degree centigrade to grow, in many areas you can start a crop in July, if you live in warmer are you can start early you don’t have to wait for growing cucumber

9. Poke a hole into the center of soil:

Make the hole about equal in depth and width. You can create it by using rounded part of pencil.

10. Plant 5 to 10 seed  in hole:

Plant seeds in the hole in the depth of 10 to 13 mm. planting more seeds than you want guaranteed your success.

11. Watering the seeds properly after planting them,make ensure that mix should be moist and will not be dry throughout the process of growing cucumber and also beware of overwatering the plant. Take care of seedlings throughout the process.

• Cucumber seedlings don’t like being taken out of a container.

12. Spread peat moss or straw over the soil:

Lightly apply a thin layer of peat moss or mulch over the seeds or seedlings or a soil, it will help in preventing the soil from drying out too quickly so seeds and sidling have chance to grow.

13. Place your pot in sunlight:

Cucumber thrive in warms conditions and extra sunlight will keep the soil good and warm, more than 6 hours of sunlight is even better.

Things to be kept in mind:

That if you are growing your cucumber indoors that make it confirm that your room will be sunny, will have temperature about 20 to 30 centigrade, there must be a sunny window from which light came out at least 6 hours a day.

14. Thin your cucumber plant when the seedling sprout to 2 sets of true leaves. Indentify the 2 tallest seedlings, snip the other seedling down to the surface of soil, do not happen to other seedlings to come out, use sniffers or scissors to snip the extra seedlings off at the soil.

15.one plant will be used if the plant reach height reached to 8 to 10 inches.

CARING OF CUCUMBER PLANT:  

Water the plant daily: if the surface of plant seems dry, it is time for re-watering, never allow soil to dry out

• Check the soil by sticking your finger in it. If it is dry that is time to water.
• Lift the pot for ensuring how heavy it is, if pot is heavy than the soil is more saturated

If you area is specially dry or hot, you may need to water twice a day.

Use a fertilizer once a week: you should add the fertilizer when the plants are dry and may create problems. You should use water soluble fertilizer.

Always go for organic pests like Neem oil or other organic pesticides:

You can make your own organic pests, to make a spray with neem oil mix 1 to 2 cups of water with few drops of dishwashing soap and 10 drops of neem oil.

HARVESTING OF CUCUMBER

You can harvest your cucumber after 55 days because bigger cucumber is more bitter, so harvest cucumber when they are young.

Snip the stem about half inches above the cucumber. If the cucumber is reach to yellowing stage means it is probably mature to eat. They are ready to harvest after 55 to 70 days after planting.

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