Crunch Time! Growing Cucumbers in Your Dome

Growing cucumbers is easy and there are so many options. Vining varieties, bush varieties, pickling, slicing cucumbers and even burpless cucumbers. What are you growing?

• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Botanical Name:Cucumis sativus
• Common Name: Cucumber
• Type: Annual
• Light:Full sun
• Soil pH: 6.0-6.8 in warm, fertile soil
• Zone: 2-11 (USDA) – Can be extended in a dome
• Size: 1 to 3 feet wide, 2-6 feet tall

Growing Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers is easy and a fun addition to the garden. Whether you grow vining or bush types, they are small fruiting plants that need full sun and warmth.

Best Location in a Dome

Cucumbers thrive in full sun, so we recommend planting them around the perimeter, favoring the south and west sides, where they can provide shade for plants that need protection from the afternoon sun and heat.

Planting Cucumbers

Plant about 4-6 seeds one inch deep in soil that is at least 70 degrees. Space your plantings by 12-18 inches apart. Remember to thin your seedlings once they reach about 4 inches tall.

If you plant them in mounds, plant 2-3 seeds in each mound.

Don’t forget to set up your trellises for vining cucumbers!

Caring for Cucumbers

Watering

Cucumbers will be thirsty when the seedlings pop up, so water them frequently. It’s important to note that inconsistent watering can lead to them tasting bitter. A good rule of thumb is to give them one inch of water per week. What does that mean? We’re glad you asked! One inch of water translates to 0.68 gallons per square foot.

When watering, avoid getting the leaves wet as that can lead to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.

Temperature

We mentioned they need warm soil, a minimum of 70 degrees, and warm temperatures. One of the bonuses of having a greenhouse is they are protected from late spring frosts or early fall frosts. This is important because cucumbers do NOT tolerate frost.

Trellis or Frame

If you are growing a vining variety, put up a trellis or a cucumber frame. It will need to be strong enough to support the weight of vines and fruit as they grow. A cucumber frame is typically any type of frame with chicken wire or something similar attached to it. This allows them to climb all sides of the frame.

Growing them on a frame also allows you to plant lettuce or other shade loving crops in the middle.

Pruning

Prune these plants once the vines reach 1 to 2 feet long. This is also when the main vines will develop secondary vines or suckers. To limit the number of vines, remove the excess suckers coming off the principal vine once they are 1 or 2 inches in length.

Otherwise the secondary vines will then start growing tertiary vines and on and on. Trust me, you’ll have enough cucumbers from your principal vine!

Another reason to prune your vines is so they have enough air circulation and sun exposure.

Pollinators

Pollinators are vital as the plant grows both male and female flowers. The pollinators carry the pollen as they move from flower to flower thus helping you to have a bountiful harvest. We recommend practicing companion planting for pollination, to help deter pests and to encourage beneficial insects into your greenhouse. You can also be the bee!

Best Companion Plants for Cucumbers

Cucumbers are friends with beans, borage, celery, cilantro, corn, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, peas, radishes and sweet alyssum. Dill is another good companion plant, and you can’t make a dill pickle without it!

Borage flowers attract medium to large-bodied bees that pollinate cucumber flowers. Bonus: they are edible (and kind of taste like cucumbers)!

If you plant cilantro seeds, let one go to seed as the cilantro flowers attract ladybugs and lacewings. The umbrella-shaped flowers also attract tachinid flies and parasitic wasps. These flies and wasps attack cucumber beetles and caterpillar pests.

Lettuce and cucumbers need the same nutrients, but do not compete for them. Lettuce also benefits from the shade cucumbers provide.

Plants to avoid growing near cucumbers are basil, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, rosemary, sage and squash.

Basil, rosemary and sage can stunt cucumber growth. They are also aromatic plants and the strong fragrance could affect the flavor of cucumbers.

Potatoes are heavy feeders so planting them near cucumbers will make both plants compete for nutrients.

Managing Cucumber Pests

Some of the pests that enjoy these plants are aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs and whiteflies. While all pests can be challenging, cucumber beetles can also spread diseases such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus.

Aphids: Look for small green, black, or clear insects on new growth. Blast them off with water, use insecticidal soap, or introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs.

Cucumber Beetles: Yellow-green beetles that can not only feed on leaves and fruit but also spread serious diseases like bacterial wilt and mosaic virus. Hand-picking, yellow sticky traps, or neem oil can help control them.

Squash Bugs: Grayish-brown bugs that suck sap from leaves, causing them to yellow, wilt, and eventually die. Hand-pick adults and destroy their bronze egg clusters found on the undersides of leaves.

Whiteflies: Tiny, white, winged insects that cluster on the undersides of leaves. Use insecticidal soap or yellow sticky traps.

Managing Cucumber Diseases

Many cucurbits are also susceptible to anthracnose, blossom-end rot, cucumber mosaic virus, downy mildew and powdery mildew.

Anthracnose: Causes sunken spots on fruit and dark spots on leaves. Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering.

Blossom-End Rot: Is not a disease, but a physiological disorder caused by calcium deficiency or inconsistent watering. Ensure consistent moisture and proper soil calcium.

Cucumber Mosaic Virus: Causes mottled, distorted leaves and stunted, discolored fruit. Often spread by aphids. Remove infected plants immediately.

Downy Mildew: Appears as yellow angular spots on the top of leaves, with fuzzy grayish mold on the underside. Improve air circulation and remove affected leaves promptly.

Powdery Mildew: White, powdery spots on leaves, especially prevalent in humid conditions with poor airflow. Ensure good air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and consider organic fungicidal sprays.

Prevention is Your Best Defense: Good air circulation (using fans, opening vents), consistent watering at the base of the plant (avoiding wet foliage), keep the growing area clean, and practicing crop rotation are crucial for preventing most pest and disease issues.

Harvesting Cucumbers

Signs your cucumber is ready and is the best quality is that they are crisp, firm and uniformly green.

Some crops are harvested once they mature. However, cucumbers are best harvested when they are still young and tender. If they are harvested after turning yellow the seeds may harden, the skin will become tough and the cucumber can be bitter.

It’s best to use a knife or clippers to harvest to avoid damaging the vine. Depending upon how many plants you have, you might be harvesting cucumbers every couple of days. Be sure to harvest all cucumbers. If you leave cucumbers on the vine too long, the plant may stop producing.

Here are some harvesting tips:

• Dills: harvest at 4 to 6 inches long.
• Pickling variety: harvest at 2 inches long.
• Slicing variety: harvest at 6 to 8 inches long
• Burpless variety (large): harvest up to 10 inches long. Some varieties are larger.
• Gherkin varieties: harvest at one inch long or three inches long for larger pickles.

Too bountiful a harvest? Learn about pickling cucumbers!

The History of Cucumbers

Cucumbers have been cultivated for at least 3000 years and originated in India. It is thought that either Greeks or Romans introduced them to Europe. The Roman Emperor Tiberius was quite fond of cucumbers and according to Pliny the Elder, the emperor ate them in summer and winter.

“Indeed, he was never without it; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to the full heat of the sun; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirrorstone.” Pliny the Elder, Natural History XIX.xxiii, “Vegetables of a Cartilaginous Nature—Cucumbers. Pepones” (We had to search way back in ancient scrolls to find this illustration for you.)

Research shows they were recorded in France in the 9th century and England in the 14th century. North America had cucumbers around the middle of the 16th century.

After they were introduced to North America, European trappers, along with traders and explorers, bartered for products that Native Americans were growing. Many tribes from the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains had learned how to grow European crops from the Spanish, including watermelons and cucumbers. They added these to the many crops they were already growing. The Iroquois began growing them when the first Europeans visited.

Cucumber Trivia

Did you know….

• Did you know that botanically cucumber is a fruit?
• They are 95% water so they are a good snack when you are dehydrated!
• The expression “cool as a cucumber” comes from physicians in the 17th century who used cucumbers for a patient with a fever. They would have the patient lie on a bed of cucumbers, thinking this method could cool the blood.
• Christopher Columbus brought the seeds to the Americas. Spanish settlers were growing them in Haiti by 1494.
• Cucumbers were once thought to be poisonous and fit only for cows, thus earning the nickname cowcumbers.
• Have you heard this old wives tale? “Plant cucumbers while you are wearing your pajamas, on the first day of May, before sunrise, and no bugs will eat them.” Put it on your calendar for next year. Photos please!
• Why put cucumbers on your eyes at a spa? They can tighten your pores, reduce visibility of wrinkles, and eliminate dark circles under your eyes.

Health Benefits of Cucumbers

Eating cucumbers as a snack offers many benefits. Since they are 95% water they are good for hydration and helping with weight loss.

Cucumbers are low in calories, but high in nutrients. They are even better for you if you leave the peels on! They are low in carbs and high in Vitamin K, magnesium and potassium.

Another benefit is they contain antioxidants, may help reduce blood sugar, and they contain fiber.

We hope you enjoyed learning all about cucumbers and will grow them in your dome. Happy gardening!