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CUCUMBER GUIDES

upright growing seedlings from cucumber plants growing by a window in a square container fitted with a trellis-like support

sow

Cucumbers taste amazing when you have grow them yourself at home and doing so is well worth the effort .

Even a unmarried plant , when decent point and cared for , can be surprisingly productive , often give you more cucumber vine than you’re able to eat over the summer months .

seed discs that have fully expanded, ready for planting

Fortunately , growing your own Cucumis sativus is not staggeringly challenging .

Although you could purchase vernal plants rather than circularise your own , it is relatively wanton to grow your own cucumber vine from seed , as well as being an eco - favorable and sustainable choice .

Cucumbers are typically sown indoors between mid - February and previous April or , with some salmagundi suited to outside cultivation , in late May or early June .

cucumber ‘masterpiece’ seed packet being held up in front of a yellow wall

To produce cucumbers from seed :

When To Sow Cucumber Seeds

Cucumber seeds should usually be sown indoors or undercover in a heated propagator .

When exactly you inseminate indoors will look on where you decide to spring up your crop .

If you project to grow your cucumbers in a heated greenhouse , then you should sow between mid - February and mid - March .

a packet of cucumber ‘masterpiece’ seeds lying on a work surface next to small seed-starting compost discs

If you are growing your cucumber vine in an unwarmed glasshouse or polytunnel , sow them sometime in April .

If you plan on growing suitable cucumber varieties outdoors then it is also good to sow in late April .

1) Acquire Your Seeds

If you want to grow cucumbers from seed then one of the first decisions that you will have to make is which particular cucumber vine varieties you will grow .

Remember , there are many different varieties to pick out from .

Some are best suited to growing in a greenhouse or polytunnel , while others are suit to outdoor cultivation .

hand sowing a flat, creamy-white cucumber seed on its side into compost

It is important to verify that you choose the good variety or varieties for you and your intended growing locating .

2) Choose A Suitable Spot

Remember , you’re able to grow cucumbers in a heated greenhouse space , in an unwarmed greenhouse or polytunnel , or outdoors in your garden .

It is of import to make this determination before you start sow in because , as mentioned above , it will dictate the timing for sow the seeds .

You will also necessitate to decide whether you will sow your germ indoors or straight outside where they are to grow .

homemade propagator covered with a plastic sheet on a windowsill

If you are maturate out of doors , then you might still sow in indoors or you might sometimes direct sow if you live in a milder area .

However , sow in indoors is generally the best insurance policy for most of us in the British Isles .

3) Sow Cucumber Seeds

Cucumber seeds that you decide to sow indoors should be sown 1 - 2 atomic number 96 deep in small crapper or in the ground if straightaway sowing .

The seeds should be sown on their side .

Make indisputable that you keep the seeds in moist seed - starting compost and at temperature of 21 ° coulomb for successful sprouting .

Although a cheery windowsill will often do , a heated disseminator can increase your chances of success .

4) Pot Up Or Plant Out

If you have sown indoors , then you should pot up your cucumber seedling into pot at least 25 centimeter in diameter that are fill up with good tone , peat - free potting compost .

Typically , you will do this in late March if growing in a heated up glasshouse or in late May in an unwarmed cloak-and-dagger growing area .

Alternatively , you could plant cucumbersinto the footing or raised bedseither under cover or outdoors .

cloak-and-dagger , you may implant out into the greenhouse or polytunnel bed or borders in May or early June .

outdoors , you will typically await until early June and may see near result if you first warm the dirt with row blanket or cloches .

“ give the need to retard sowing due to the need for dirt temperatures to increase , inseminate indoors , even on a windowsill , will grow more reliable germination than growing outside , ” share Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .

“ They will also be far less prone to suffering damage at an former stage of growth due to slug and snails . ”

Wherever you choose to sow and turn your cucumbers , take good care of your plant and you will surely be rewarded with a bounty of cucumber for your salad throughout summertime and often well into fall .