After planting out, a day temperature of between 15°C (60°F) and 21°C (70°F) should be maintained and the night temperature should not be allowed to fall below 15°C (60°F). Train your cucumber plants up towards the roof using strings or canes secured to horizontal wires running the length of your greenhouse.
Even prolonged exposure to temperatures below 55 degrees F. (13 C.) can cause decay, pitting, and water-soaked areas on fruit. Sudden cold snaps can cause cucumber plant damage on leaves, stems, and fruit or even kill the plants.
Cucumbers are on of the best garden vegetables. If you start them too early in the garden, the frost will kill them. Timing is critical to your cucumber success.
Cucumbers are sensitive to frost. Plant at least two weeks after all danger of frost has passed. You can use plastic sheeting on the ground to help retain the earth's heat. You can also cover plants with a row cover until they start blooming, if needed.
Full sun requires direct light at least 6 hours/day; prefers 8 - 10 hours/day. Days to maturity: 50 - 65 from seed. Spacing: 12" in-row x 48" - 72" between rows; or plant in a hill (two to three plants per hill). Fertilizer needs: Moderate requirement for nutrients, either from soil organic matter or fertilizers.
Optimal Temperature Range for Cucumber Growth
Cucumbers are like the Goldilocks of the garden; they prefer it not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Daytime temperatures should hover between 60-95°F (15-35°C), with the sweet spot around 70-82°F (21-28°C) for those juicy, crunchy fruits.
Cucumbers need lots of sun, at least eight hours a day. Morning sun is best because it dries the dew from the leaves which helps prevents mildew. Always rotate where you grow your cucumbers from year to year to avoid soil borne diseases and overwintering insects.
Vegetables vary widely in how much cold they can tolerate as they reach maturity. Crops that came from warmer parts of the world cannot tolerate even a light frost, and may even begin to suffer at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the grand scheme of things, cucumbers crave a consistent 1-2 inches of water weekly. But let's not oversimplify. Sandy soils dry out faster than a gossip in a small town, necessitating more frequent watering. Clay soils, the stage-five clingers of the garden, retain moisture longer and demand less.
If your cucumber plant is thriving, remove the lower leaves to help it stay healthy. For shoots 50cm above the ground, regularly check the leaf axils for side shoots. Cut them off after the first couple of fruit sets. If your plant is becoming too large, cut off the top of the main shoot at the end of the season.
May and June are the best months for planting cucumbers in the U.S. (late May through mid-July in colder zones). But, beware of planting overgrown cucumbers from the nursery!
A high potassium fertiliser, such as tomato feed or a balanced fertiliser mix including potassium can be used as per the instructions.
Most houseplants are native to tropical areas and will not tolerate freezing temperatures. Many indoor plants will see damage when temperatures drop to the mid to lower 40s°F and nearly all will die if exposed to below freezing temperatures.
Cucumbers are very sensitive to cold. They need warm soil and air, whether direct-seeded or transplanted. Don't rush to plant too early. Seed will not germinate if soil temperature is below 50 F, and germinates only slowly at 68 F.
Planting borage, scarlet runner beans, and other flowers near your cucumbers attracts bumblebees, whose presence helps deter cucumber beetles. Grow repellent plants. Flowers like nasturtium and marigolds, an herb such as catnip, and veggies like radishes and corn help keep cucumber beetles away. Keep the garden clean.
Here's how to diagnose if they are getting the right amount of water: Step-by-Step Diagnosis Observe Plant Appearance Leaves: Underwatered: Dry, brittle, and wilted leaves. Overwatered: Yellow, wilted, but soft leaves. Stems: Underwatered: Thin and weak. Overwatered: Swollen and soft.
As with other squash plants, it is not advisable to plant zucchini and cucumbers together. Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, just like zucchini and so they will compete for space and nutrients. Also, growing several similar plants in the same area can make it easier for pests to find the plants.
Water correctly: Do not overwater. The first week tomato plants are in the ground, they need water every day, but back off watering after the first week, slowly weaning the plants down to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.
Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.
Another temperature to keep in mind: tomato plants will not survive in temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and will not thrive at temperatures below 50 degrees. Gardeners can use a frost date calendar to note their region's average dates of last frost in spring and first frost in fall.
First, it's good to know which plants are sensitive to temps around 35 or 40 degrees F. These are common tender plants that will need some protection. Hanging baskets: begonias, calibrachoa, gerbera, impatiens, vinca, euphorbia, and scoparia.
Bush Champion cucumbers are the perfect choice for small gardens outdoors due to their compact plants, rapid growth rate, and resistance to mosaic virus. They produce eight to 11-inch fruit in just 60 days, making them a prolific and reliable producer of crisp, bright green cucumbers.