Vegetables
If you are growing cucumbers in raised beds this time of year , you ’ve joined the legion of gardeners that absolutely love maturate this pop garden veg every time of year . But how do you maximize your cuke yield when growing in raised bed ? In this article , horticulture expert and homesteader Merideth Corhs provides her top hint for a giving cuke harvest from your heighten garden beds !
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After tomatoes , cucumber vine are one of the most pop vegetables to institute in the dwelling garden . It ’s no wonder really . Cucumber plants are prolific fruiters . Even if you imbed them later in the outpouring , you could be stifle deeply in delightful fruit by mid - summertime ! But what aboutgrowing cucumbers in raise garden beds?Will they produce substantially there , versus other places they can be planted ? Is there even a difference ?
While you’re able to for sure raise cucumbers directly in the solid ground oreven in container , they do really well in elevate beds . But , like growing any character of veggie in erect beds , there ’s a few tricks of the trade wind you take to know for a truly big harvest .
So , if you ’ve settle togrow cucumbersin your raised bed this year , you ’ve come to the right position . I ’ve put together some of my top tips for a successfulraised bed cucumber harvestto aid you along the way this time of year . Let ’s leap out in !
Why Cucumbers Love Raised Beds
Raised bed can be a gardener ’s good friend in many cases . In oecumenical , erect bed are often more productive than establish directly in the ground because the soil is less compact , ithasbetter drain , and it warm up originally in the spring . You will also deal with fewer Mary Jane and soil - borne diseases . raise bed also see really beautiful and can add together a nice touch of landscaping to your yard .
There are many unlike ways of build a raised layer in your garden . you’re able to purchase pre - made solutions that you put together , build up them yourself , or hire someone local to build a custom solvent for your space .
Since I garden in avery small space , raised beds have been a lifesaver for me and have allowed me to grow much more than I would have been able-bodied to do in containers alone .
Tips For Raised Garden Bed Cucumbers
Now that you understand a bit about why I feel cucumbers are the staring raise seam veg , countenance ’s take a rich look at some of my top tips for ensuring you have a openhanded crop this season !
Start With a Quality Raised Bed
There are quite a few options when it comes to leaven beds . I have used raised bed placed directly over exist soil as well as elevated wooden beds on my deck . The most of import consideration is thetype of materialyou choose to practice .
Untreated woodis normally the first choice . cedarwood Mrs. Henry Wood can do exceptionally well because it wo n’t disgrace in pie-eyed conditions . you may also usegalvanized metalgarden bed that have drainage holes in the bottom .
You want to avoid materials that can strip toxin into your grease . Remember , your cucumber vine will uptake whatever is in the soil and piddle of your bed . stave off DIY solutions that call for using railroad ties , treated wood , pallets , concrete blocks , tyre , or any kind of painted Natalie Wood . I am all for recycling and upcycling , but in this cause , it ’s a bad approximation .
A good linguistic rule of thumb is to not make your raise layer wider than 4 feet . One of the benefits of raised bed is open , well aerate grease . If you maltreat in the bed to attain your cuke , you will compact the soil around your foot . You unquestionably do n’t want this to happen .
Most people can progress to about 2 ’ from either side of a raise bed , which is why we encourage a 4 ’ maximum breadth . If you are place your bed near a fence , make your bed 2 - 3’for the same reasonableness .
Most elevate bed cater you with enough room for a filth depth of 12 inches . cucumber will do fine in this soil deepness , but they really thrive with18 inches of room to grow . If you could make your raised bed a little deeper , your cucumbers will give thanks you for it !
Choose The Right Variety
Your first option when it hail to cucumbers this class is what to plant . Do you want to focus onslicing cucumbersthat are amazing in salads and sandwich ? Or do you prefer makingpickles ? How about both ?
in person I grow slicing cuke in one of my raised beds each twelvemonth , and buy batches of pickle cucumber from the farmer ’s market place . Since I have a small space , this helps me maximise my yield without running the risk of my pickling cucumbers sit around until I have enough to can .
Once you have decided between slicing and pickling , you get to make up one’s mind betweenvining and bushing !
Vining cucumbers are what we traditionally think of . These varieties send out sprawling vines from the main stem that meander up fences , treillage , and stakes . Certain type of cucumbersend out shoots that can grow up to 15 feet long ! This eccentric of cucumber vine is great if you have a lot of space or if your heighten bed is strategically pose up against a fence .
Bushing varieties , on the other hand , grow succinctly and grow their fruit vertical . Because of this , bush cucumbers incline to be a popular choice for smaller raised or upgrade layer since they are well-situated to project for and control .
There are so many cucumbers to choose from that it really comes down to personal predilection . If you ’re looking for a place to start out , mark out the Spacemaster Bush Pickle ( you could use unseasoned cucumbers for pickle or let them grow for slice ) , the Straight Eight ( for fade ) , or the Boston Pickling Cucumber ( a pickling heirloom variety ) .
Choose Disease Resistant Varieties
If you have dealt with cucumber disease in previous year , you may want to choose a variety bred to bedisease resistant . Bacterial wilt disease , spread by cucumber vine beetles , is probably the most common cucumber - specific disease , but plant life can also be susceptible to mosaic virus downy mildew , and powdery mould .
you could do a hunting on most cum site for disease resistant cucumber and choose the type of disease that are most common in your area . If you ’re looking for a few testimonial , check out theSalad Bush(slicing ) , Fresh Pickles Hybrid ( pickling ) , or the Lemon Heirloom ( small lily-livered and nifty for slice ) .
Invest in High Quality Soil
Cucumbers are heavy feeders and command anorganically fertile , fertile , well draining soil to boom . To help prepare your raised bottom , start with a rich , loamy outdoor pot dirt . About a month prior to planting , amend your soil with compost , mildly turn over it in .
I wish to make my own compost with my dirt ball bin , but you could also expend store - buy compost for this . Look for an constitutional compost with louse castings for adept outcome .
cuke like a slightly acidulous soil – ideally with a pH between 5.5 and 7 . It ’s a good idea to test your soil before planting to see where thing are . If you discover your soil is too alkalic , tote up a soil acidifier at the same time as your compost .
Don’t Plant Too Early
cucumber vine are awarm season crop , mean they should n’t be planted while there is any probability of frost . Liketomatoesandbell pepper , it ’s better to waitress until nighttime temperatures are systematically above 55 degrees ( they in reality thrive in soil temporary above 70 degrees ) . This will ensure that territory temperatures are lovesome enough to keep your cucumbers happy .
The safe news is that the stain in rear beds is typically warmer than soil in the ground . This means that you could in all likelihood plant your cucumbers a little earlier in the season . If you do plant early , set up a float run-in cover on your raised bed to keep your young seedlings protect .
Practice Consistent Crop Rotation
Even in a base garden , harvest gyration is important . This can helpreduce soil - tolerate diseasesfrom attacking plants yr after twelvemonth . This is specially important if you have dealt with disease in the past . The same is genuine with sure pests that like to overwinter in your soil .
Ideally , you should avoid implant cucumber plants in soil that was used to produce other cucurbits ( the gourd family line ) for 1 - 2 long time . you may plant other types of veg there and relocate your cucumber .
If you have a single raised bed , this may be a challenge for you . I recommend using alarge container with a trellisto plant life your cucumbers in the off days . If you have multiple layer , planning a simple craw rotation should put to work fine .
Sow Seeds Directly in Your Raised Bed
Although you could technically purchase cucumber starts from a baby’s room , they tend to do a lot better when sow directly in your raised bed . Like other cucurbit , cucumber do n’t care to have their roots disturbed , which makes them tricky to transfer . fortuitously , they are extremelyeasy to grow from seedand you will likely see sprouting within5 - 10 daysdepending on the variety .
Plant 2 - 3 Cucumis sativus seed about 1 inch below the Earth’s surface of the soil , spacing the plantings 18 - 36 ” apart(bush variety will tolerate closer spacing ) . Cover the seeds with soil , and press down lightly with your finger . softly mist over the top of the filth with a spray bottle or a very low flow rate hose .
You do n’t want to pour water over the top or use a hard spray attachment over newly order seeds since it can wash them away or force them too far under the grunge . Place seminal fluid markers at the plant web site so you do n’t forget what you planted !
When the seedling are about 3 ” marvelous and have 2 set of true leaves , thin out extra plants , leaving only one per hole . To do this , snip them off at the soil point with a brace of scissor grip or shears ( do not pull them out ) . Thinning your seedlings allows the strongest plant to grow without challenger .
Plant in Full Sun
Cucumbers need to be institute in an area that receives full sunlight , meaning at least 6 hours of lineal Lord’s Day each twenty-four hour period . They really prefer8 - 10 hours of sunfor maximal yield production .
Southern exposure is ideal for most sun - loving veggie like cucumbers where they receive light the legal age of the day but are protected from the strongest good afternoon sun . Cucumbers will also do well with an eastern facing photo . Without enough sun , wait scrubby development , and other problem .
If your raised bed location offers you these planting options , you ’re in neat form . If you only have westerly exposure like I do , your cucumbers may stand in the hottest part of the afternoon . To serve mitigate this , seek to acquaint a little spook with your plantings .
you’re able to do this by planting a taller plant like dill or helianthus near your cucumbers , or by installing a floating words cover in your bed . This will allow plenty of brightness level to reach your plants while protect them from the abrasive rays .
Water Regularly
Cucumber fruits have afairly high urine content , so it is no admiration that cucumber plant are pretty hungry . A cosmopolitan rule of thumb is to give the industrial plant about 1 - 2 inches of water every week . In a raised bottom , you have to pay more attention to soil moisture than you do when implant in the ground .
You want the soil to be dampish but not soaked . The beneficial way to determine if your cucumber need urine is to stick your finger in the stain about 2 - 3 inches . If the soil is dry , it ’s fourth dimension to piss . If it ’s still moist , give it another twenty-four hour period .
Remember , a general formula is that you will need to water your raised beds more frequently than you would if plants were now in the solid ground . call back to alwayswater your cucumbers in the morningand not during the heat of the day !
Most plant do n’t care a cloudburst of water and cucumber are no different . Think about the remainder between taking a nice sip of water from a glass vs someone opening a fire hydrant for you . In an ideal situation , you may set up a drip mold system of rules before planting .
This will deliver water to your plants in a consistent and manageable means . If you do n’t have a dribble installed , do n’t worry . you’re able to simply turn your hose on the low scene and just permit it tardily stream into the soil . It may take a picayune longer than you want it to , but you ’ll be felicitous about the remainder effect .
A common mistake with Modern gardeners is to water the top of the plant rather than the land underneath . This can actually cause a circle of problem with your cucumbers including the cattle farm of fungal disease ( cause from wet soil splash on the underside of the crushed foliage ) , powdery mould , leaf burn , and draw pests .
Always aim to slow water the ground either with a trickle organization or low flow hosiery . Add mulch to the infrastructure of your plant to maximise H2O retentivity , keep your soil at a consistent temperature , and minimise water splosh back .
Mulch Your Soil
Mulch is fabulously authoritative in your garden . It ’s especially crucial in and around Cucumis sativus plant life . Mulch providesprotection against excessive high temperature , helps grunge continue moisture , keep water splash back ( which can spread fungous disease ) , and deter weeds .
you may use a pile of organic materials as mulch . Straw , grass clippings , wood chips , and crushed up leave-taking are all things you could repurpose from your yard ( if it has n’t been treated with herbicide / pesticide ) .
Weed Early and Often
Cucumbers , like most veg , are raw to weed overgrowth . smoke can causeovercrowding and airflow issues , slip lively nutrient from your industrial plant , and attract certain pests like the fearful cucumber mallet .
keep your garden percipient from weeds can seem like a never end undertaking . The practiced news is that you’re able to fellow traveller engraft certain bloom and herbs with your cucumbers to take some of the work off your plate . Trailing Nasturtium , marigolds , cive , and basil all make excellent weed barrier around your cucumbers and have the added benefit of pest control as well !
As we mentioned previously , mulch will also have the add welfare ofweed ascendancy in your garden . Anything you could do early in the time of year to make your life history easier in the hot summer months is a profits !
Fertilize Throughout the Season
If your cucumber vines are pale green or sensationalistic , especially the old leaves , they mayneed a nutritionary boost . We already recognise that cucumbers are heavy affluent . We help our plant out early by adding rich compost to our grease .
But your plant may need a little extra service as the season progresses . This can be especially true in raised beds where we often have more plants per square foot vie for the same resources .
Cucumbers need moderate atomic number 7 and high level of phosphorus and K to optimize yield yield . Look for an organic plant food with the first number lower than the last two ( like 3 - 4 - 6 ) .
A fertilizer with too much N will leave in a plant with too many leaves and not enough flowers or fruit . If it looks like your plant is struggling , feed your cucumbers with a limpid fertilizeronce a calendar month .
Grow Vertically
Cucumis sativus are a vegetable ( tomato are another ) that will happily grow on the ground if you let it . regrettably , this natural inclination wo n’t do you any favour this time of year . Growing cuke vines on the groundencourages pests , disease , and will dramatically limit the fruit output of the plant .
Instead , prepare to grow your cucumbers vertically . If your arouse bed is placed against a fence , you ’re in luck – you have a built in trellis already install ! If your bed are situate anywhere other than against a fence , you ’ll need to look into instal a treillage for your cucumbers .
Simply put , a trellis is a figure that helps cucumber plant life develop vertically . you could apply a fortune of things as a trellis , but ideally , you want a material slight enough that the feelers cucumber charge out can naturally wrap around it . you may purchasepremade trellis systemsfrom your local garden gist , or you may make your own .
If you do a search , you ’ll line up dozens of DIY treillage solutions . A common idea is to use wood or polyvinyl chloride tobacco pipe as your human body and fulfil the place with volaille conducting wire . This bring home the bacon a uncompromising base while offer plenty of places for vine feelers to attach .
Not only will growing your cucumbers vertically facilitate the plant life detain level-headed and develop more yield , it will make it easier for you to find that fruit !
Monitor Pollination
A lot of garden plants are self - pollinate , think that the blossom have both manful and distaff parts . Tomatoes and capsicum pepper plant are capital model of this . cucumber , on the other hired man , have clearly male and distaff flowers .
For the plant to jell fruit , apollinator has to take pollen from the male person flowerand place it inside a female blossom . The fruit then educate from the distaff flower ( the manlike flower will close and fall off after a few days ) .
Cucumber plants tend to produce a LOT of male flower days before the first female flower appears . This happens by design . The prime are intend to appeal a fate of pollinators so they are already in the country once the first female flower open up .
Unfortunately , the teemingness of prime without fruit can sometimes lead the domicile nurseryman to fear there is a job when there really is n’t . Just remember that female flower will typically lead off to show up a week or two after the first manful flowers .
manful and female flowers are easy to tell aside . Male prime blossom in clump of 3 - 5 , and fall off the plant after pollination . Female flower blossom by themselves , one per stem , have an ovary at the shopping mall , and will develop a modest yield at the base of the stem after pollination .
After a flower has been pollinated , it will set about to wilt . If it ’s a male flower , it will dry up and fall off the plant . However , if it ’s female , the flower will dry up as the fruit behind it begins to organise .
If you notice that your heyday are n’t wilting , it means they are n’t being pollinate and may need a little helper . This can happen when not enough pollinators are visiting your plants . If your arouse bed are arrange apart from other flowering plants , this could be the cause .
If you ’ve acknowledge female flowers that arenot setting fruit , you may necessitate to look at mitt pollenation . To give pollinate , happen an assailable male flower , dip a clean paint brushwood into the center , and coat it with pollen .
Move to an open distaff flower and gently tap the pollen into the marrow . you could gently rub the brush against the stain as well to maximize pollen reportage . But be easy . Repeat this process for all female flowers that are open .
That ’s it ! You should see the closed female flowers start up to swell up and grow into a small yield over the next duet of days .
Check for Pests and Diseases Daily
A good rule of ovolo is to spend time in your garden each day , even if it ’s only for a little chip . Take a look at your cucumber plants , check under the leaf forsmall pests likeants , aphids , and cucumber vine beetles , look for signs of stress or damage , and always be on the outlook for big emergence like bacterial wilt that can ruin your plant .
Cucumber mallet are themost rough-cut pestyou are likely to come across , although there are others that enjoy course on Cucumis sativus plants as well .
Depending on where you live , you will see one of two miscellany of cucumber beetle : striped and spotted . The spotted face a bit like an off - colored ladybird . fully grown beetles eat on leaves and flowers , while larvae feed on the plant roots .
Most of the prison term , a few cuke beetles are n’t something to worry about . They ’re actually good pollinator . The biggest takings they cause is bacterial wilt disease , which is fateful to your Cucumis sativus . The first sign of transmission is wilt and dry leaves seemingly overnight . It ’s extremely frustrating to see a healthy vivacious flora one day follow by wilted , beat vines the next .
An easy way to confirm bacterial wilt is tocut off an affected stemat the root word and equal the cut with your finger . If a blanched , thread - same strand arrive out of the cut when you draw your finger away , wilting is the issue .
Like most garden plant , cucumbers aresusceptible to many diseases . Diseases like powdery mildew , downy mildew , and mosaic computer virus , are in all probability the most common you will come across ( in plus to bacterial wilt disease ) .
Like most problems , prevention is far easy to manage than trying to plow a disease that has get along through your plant . Some diseases are completely reversible if caught ahead of time , but can be fatal to a industrial plant if left unchecked .
associate planting , which we ’ll verbalize about in a bit , can be an excellent way of helping to stave off disease in your cucumber plant . Keeping leave dry(note right lachrymation techniques above ) will also help your cucumbers avoid fungous disease .
If you do notice fungal disease like powdery or downy mildew , you could cover your plant with constituent antifungal agent . Make trusted to carefully read the direction and go for as directed .
Take Advantage of Companion Planting
fellow traveller planting is one of my favorite thing to write about . As an organic nurseryman , companion planting is critically important topollinator attraction , blighter direction , disease bar , and flavor enhancement of the kernel crop .
Here are some great examples of herbs , veggie , and flowers tocompanion plant life with cucumbers :
Planting maize and sunflower with your cucumbers can be fantastically beneficial . Not only do these marvellous plant provide anatural treillage for your cuke to climb up , they put up shade shelter in the hottest part of the day .
Sunflowersare a popular home garden improver to a raised bottom with cucumbers for incisively this cause . I have also anecdotally heard gardners claim that these large flowers make their cucumber exceptionally angelical and flavorful .
Peas , beans , and lentils all chip in critical nitrogen to your raised bed . This directly benefits nearby plants – especially heavy feeding cucumbers – byproviding them with critical nutrients . legume have a symbiotic kinship with certain soil - inhabit bacterium .
The bacterium takes nitrogen from the air in the dirt and feast it to the root of the legumes . In exchange , the plant life provides carbohydrates to the bacteria . Any of the nitrogen not used by the leguminous plant is released into the nearby soil . This is how legumes ‘ fix ’ nitrogen in the dirt .
Most fragrant herb – Mentha piperita , dill weed , oregano , Petroselinum crispum – serve dissuade pests from your cucumberplants . It ’s helpful to choose only one or two of these , however , since the flavor of your cucumber vine can be altered if too many different varieties are planted near together . Here are some of my favorite herbs to plant near cucumbers .
This is one of my all meter favorites although it ’s not often find oneself at local nurseries ( I have to range germ ) . Borage is a flowering herb that pollinators and predatory insects swarm to . This will go a farsighted way toward both lifelike pest ascendance and lifelike pollination once your cucumber prime take up to bloom .
A strong smelling herb that disgust pestilence like cucumber and flea beetles . u003ca href = u0022https://www.epicgardening.com / dill / u0022u003eDill is another bang-up herbu003c / au003e to have in your garden if you plan to make hole this year !
Another one of my favorites , the sulfur compounds deter aphid and come back year after class . These are also great to add to your cookery wherever a unaccented onion feeling is needed .
This is a potent smell out herb with an established reputation for repelling plague . Keep in idea that you will need to cut back your wild marjoram in a raise bed since the flora is a tight grow perennial .
Flowers are incredibly important to encourage pollinator to assure out your cucumber industrial plant . Planting efflorescence natural to your country can really facilitate this as well . But if you ’re look for some tried and true flower benefactor , stop out marigoldsand nasturtiums .
Gallic marigolds particularly act as a trap industrial plant and will attract pest like whitefly and aphid away from your cucumbers . You ’ll need to found these several hebdomad before of your cucumbers for them to be large enough to make a difference .
If you ’d wish to read about11 reasons why you should engraft nasturtiumsin your garden this year , check out this article . Nasturtiums draw pollinator , predatory insects , and play as a trap flora specifically for aphids . When plant near your cucumbers , they can also help raise the veg ’s flavor , vigor , and development rate .
Harvest Early and Often
Now that you ’ve grow healthy , vibrant , and prolifically fruiting cucumber plants , it ’s meter to glean ! Like with most veggie , you ’ll be able toincrease your crop by picking early and often . works are always more productive if they are harvested often .
Pick your fade cucumbers when they are roughly six inches long ; reap your pickling cuke when they are about 3 inch . Do n’t let your cucumbers get too heavy because the plant will think it has finished its work ! Large cucumbers can also be fair bitter so from a discernment perspective , lowly is better .
Harvesting is an surface area where leaven bed really aid out . Seeing cucumber yield is much gentle when they are at eye level ! If your tegument is sensitive , wear boxing glove while harvesting . I find the little thorny points get at my fingers when I pick more than a few at a time . To remove those , simply fray them under cold water .
Get ready to enjoy a bounty of cherubic , delicious cuke !
Final Thoughts
Growing Cucumis sativus in raised bedsdoesn’t have to be difficult . In fact , they are one of the most rewarding vegetables that you’re able to found , if you originate them properly . By stick to some of the gratuity I ’ve outlined here , you ’ll be well on your style to a bountiful home grown Cucumis sativus harvest home this season and beyond !
