Cucumbers differ in the fruit types and uses; both the slicer
or fresh salad type and the pickle type are available for home garden use.
Cucumbers are multiple harvest plants, and when properly grown, only a
few plants are needed to provide and adequate supply for the average family.
Plant four to five seeds per foot in rows spaced about 36 inches apart.
Untrellised rows may need to be spaced as much as 4 feet apart. When
plants are 4 to 5 inches high and before they begin to run, thin the plants
to 24 inches apart in a row.
For the flowers to develop into fruit, pollen must be carried by insects
from the male flowers to the female flowers, the ones with the small "pickle"
behind the bloom. Poor set is common during rainly weather when pollinating
insects are inactive. Spray insecticides in the late afternoon to
avoid harming insect populations necesary for pollination.
Fruits may be used from the time they are 11/2
to 2 inches long until they begin to turn yellow. This period is approximately
10 to 12 days for any one fruit. It is important to remove cucumbers
before they turn yellow so that plants continue producing. If the
fruits are picked early, plants bear a large number of cucumbers;
if harvest is delayed until fruits are large, yields are lower. |
