growing cucumbers

Does anybody grow their own cucumbers? I was thinking about growing a few things including cucumbers because I love them and I was wondering if they are hard to grow?

Comments

  • omshantiomshanti Raw Newbie

    smoothielove cukes are really easy but require a bit of water…i grow mine in containers…they are super yum!!!

  • Thanks I think ill give them a try. If I plant them the second week in march do you think that a good time?

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    cukes are super easy . they like warmth , here in detroit i start them in early may when days are in the 70’s and nights in the 50’s .
    cover soil where plant with black plastic til seeds sprout to keep soiil warmer and thusly speed sprouting . water under plastic .

    they like alot of water . and alot of people like to grow them up something like a trellis / fence because the plant spreads out a bit . and dont put them closer than say 24" inches or theyll choke each other off which leads to way less productive plants .

    and yes start them now , and in say ten to 14 days start some more in case the first batch gets destroyed by cold . seeds are cheap so why not gamble on an early crop then insure with another wave in case cold destroys . and when seeding start seeds way closer than 24” because all the seeds dont make it . and if they do you just pull out the extra ones after youve established how many you got . i always buy extra seeds and plant way more than remove excess , its cheap insurance .

    my favorite seed companys are www.territorialseedcompany.com (catalog has excellent growing info ) and www.superseeds.com . also a new and organic + small companys www.highmowingseeds.com . also go to www.organicgardener.com / www.motherearthnews.com for growing tips .

    and my 2 quick garden tips are 1 – dont plant seeds too deep or theyll be much less apt to sprout , like a quarter to half inch is a good average . 2 – laying straw around plants holds moisture in soil , plus allows fewer weeds to take root . plus enriches soil when decomposes . oh , ide suggest trying 2 different cuke types to get your experimenting underway and quicken the pace at finding what types do best in your soil and taste best to you because theyll vary .

  • Thank you so much! Im very excited to start my summer garden! What are some other easy to grow summer veggies that you would recommend?

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    most greens are fast / easy , and i really like having mega fresh / totally organic greens for as long as the growing season . i always grow LOOSE LEAF LETTUCES - SPINACH – ARUGULA . ide go to www.superseeds.com and get the LOOSE LEAF LETTUCE MIX + SPINACH MIX . i start growing them as soon as the grounds thawed , using the black plastic method to speed up sprouting . ide get the 1 ounce size packets there because they dont cost too much and youll have alot of seeds so can start a new wave like every month so have greens coming in all season . plus save unused seeds andll still be good next year . i save my seeds in old prescription bottles which work great .

    if you like raw string beans theyre easy . ide suggest the BUSH VERSION (as opposed to pole version which you have to stake because the vines grow long) of BLUE LAKE STRING BEANS . superseeds is also a good source for these . and they also have there my favorite string bean called DRAGON TONGUE , its long / flat / yellow with purple streaks and taste better than any other string to me . if only getting 1 bean ide get dragon tongue .

    radish are a VERY fast growing plant which make them fun to grow because of seeing fast progress . radish ide get from www.willhiteseed.com in texas , they give real good sized packages , where as with some things like radish superseeds gives fewer/not enough seeds .

    buying both tomato and all kinds of pepper plants are very easy , you can plant pepper plants close together , 1 foot , and get alot of production out of a small area .

    its easy and worth growing if like the fresh taste plus scent is basil . and an awesome thing is lemon basil , the scents just like lemons , but it taste like basil . but fresh regular basil has such a good scent to me ide grow it just for grabbing a leaf every day and tearing it in half just to inhale the scent , plus its great in tomato dishes or dressings . every fall when the basil dies off my vinegar and oil salad dressing start tasting like junk to me .

    corns easy , fun to watch grow . but if have squirrels theyll eat it before it matures .

    sunflowers are easy / beautiful . check out www.territorialseeds.com for a great selection of sun seed . though you could grow the basic squirrel food variety seed and theyre a nice plant .

    happy mulching :-)

    ps – i just visited the superseed site and theyve changed the name from loose leaf lettuce mix to PINE TREE LETTUCE MIX . its still the same loose leaf lettuce , they just call it pine tree mix because thats there company name . i dont know why there site address is superseed .

  • I grow cucumbers! And tons of other plants too!!
    Corn is great and easy too! I am more of an experimental gardener. I try to grow EVERYTHING, even if it is not for my “zone”. I even take seeds from my fruits and veggies I buy and stick them in pots. I have had great luck with many different edibles!

    If you compost, you will be surprised by the varieties of “volunteer” plants you get. =)

  • I live in Newport News (near virginia beach) and my roommate and I are starting plans to build a little greenhouse next to our house…is it a good idea to start planting or sprouting some veggies (kale, cucumber, etc.) now even though the weather is still pretty cold?

    also the soil by our house has been neglected for a long time by the previous renters…any suggestions to quickly give some love back to the soil? any good composting resources?

  • Thank you so much michigan roman! I go home in a week and half and im going to plant as many different veggies as my mom will left me! haha she will have to take care of them for about a month until i come home for summer so I hope she doesnt mind! I think I will try the lettuce and spincah, peppers, cucumbers, radish, and basil. I love the smell of basil too! I really like dill too maybe ill try that too!

Sign In or Register to comment.