Cucumbers: backgrounds, cultivation, harvest and preservation

Cucumbers are part of the standard assortment in the supermarket. We show how to grow, harvest and preserve cucumbers in your own garden.

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae) along with zucchini and melons. So it is not surprising that in Germany, both cucumbers and melons were initially grouped together under the term "cucumber". Nevertheless, it seems clear that the two types, which are so different in taste, were later conceptually separated from each other.

Cucumbers are an integral part of most kitchens. Because what would a mixed salad be without the fresh taste of cucumbers? Or tzatziki without the green vegetables? Unthinkable! The cucumber probably originally comes from India, where other types of vegetables, such as the aubergine, are said to have originated. According to tradition, the cucumber is said to have existed for over 1000 years B.C. Chr. to have been cultivated by Indian farmers. It found its way to Europe via Persia to today's Italy. Emperor Tiberius is said to have appreciated the refreshing vegetables very much. In Europe, the main growing areas are in Germany (0.5 million tons), the Netherlands (0.25 million tons and Spain (0.2 million Metric tons). However, Germany, the largest producer of cucumbers in Europe, produces ridiculously little compared to China. Because the Chinese harvest around 28 million Tons every year about 50 times the German production.

Synonyms: garden cucumber, cucumber, gherkin, kukumer, guckummer, guggummere (CH), cucumber (engl.)

Grow cucumbers properly

Cucumbers, compared to other common vegetables in the cucurbit family, do best in cool climates. This should also be one of the reasons why the cultivation of cucumbers in your own garden is quite successful.

So that you can harvest as many aromatic cucumbers as possible, you should prefer the seed. Here you can have your own windowsill or a heated greenhouse. The seeds are planted 1 to 2 cm deep in mid-April. The temperatures should be at least 20 °C, otherwise the germination process will be significantly slowed down. A bright location is just as important as the right temperature. Dark window sills can be additionally illuminated with plant light. There are now very good lights based on LED technology on the Internet that hardly use any electricity.

Experienced hobby gardeners can also graft the cucumber on a disease-resistant base. However, this requires a sure instinct. If you still want to plant a grafted cucumber in your garden, you should obtain young plants from a nursery. These are quite often refined. Simply ask the seller explicitly for grafted young plants.

Once the first regular pair of leaves have formed (this does not include the cotyledons), the seedlings can be pricked out carefully in a larger pot. Immediately after the ice saints in mid-May, the young plants can then be transplanted to their location outdoors. The location should be sheltered from the wind and as bright as possible. Sunny places are preferred, but semi-shady locations do not harm the plant either. Good neighbors for cucumbers are also beneficial.

Before planting, you should make sure that the soil contains enough nutrients. Usual garden soil can be improved with a good dose (300 g/sqm) of compost. You can also use a pre-fertilized organic soil like our Plantura Organic tomato & vegetable soil excellent use. The soil should be as loose as possible. Depending on the type of cucumber, you can expect a space requirement of half a square meter to one square meter. The distance between the plants should be at least 25 to 30 cm. The use of black mulch film can significantly increase the yield: expert opinions assume up to 40%. Because the black mulch film absorbs the sun's rays and stores the heat particularly well.

To encourage bushy growth and high yields, pinch off. The tips of the young plants are removed so that at least two pairs of leaves remain. In addition to basic fertilization before planting, you should regularly use a complete fertilizer fertilize. Our Plantura Organic Tomato Fertilizer is a primarily organic organic fertilizer that provides all the important nutrients for cucumber plants.

Especially in midsummer, cucumbers need to be watered regularly. Because how else should the little plants have enough water to develop the cucumber fruit? Drought not only acknowledges the plants with modest growth and yield, but also with bitter-tasting cucumbers.
A detailed step-by-step guide can be found here: Growing cucumbers: sowing, care and harvest time.

cucumber varieties

As with pumpkins, for example, the variety of cucumbers is also enormous. In addition to the green-skinned specimens, there are white, yellow and brown-skinned ones. The shape ranges from spherical to cylindrical to snake-shaped. In the weight classes, mini cucumbers (<70 g) are the first, followed by pickles and pickled cucumbers (80 – 150 g). classic cucumbers (200 - 400 g) to the so-called peeling cucumbers, which weigh up to 4000 g on the scales bring.

In general, there are two different types: cucumber and pickle. The type, also known as snake cucumber, is grown much more frequently. In this case the fruits are long and slightly curved; the shell is smooth and free of spines. This type is mainly grown in greenhouses. In contrast, the other type of cucumber is often grown outdoors. Although these can also be processed fresh, they usually find their way into the pickle jar. Pickled gherkins or garden gherkins are significantly shorter and have a firmer shell, which also occasionally has spikes.

an extensive one Variety overview of cucumber you'll find here.

Salad / Cucumbers:

• Carosello Tondo di Manduria: Proven variety from Italy with roundish-oval fruits; very vigorous and robust; excellent taste.
• Chinese snakes: variety for outdoor cultivation; small core and high pulp content.
• delicacy: Proven variety (10 – 15 cm), which can be eaten fresh or pickled.
• Johanna: Proven, thick-fleshed cucumber with fruits up to 35 cm long; good taste and high yield.
• Saladin (F1): Modern, high-yielding variety (30 – 35 cm) with a good taste (does not develop bitter substances); resistant to cucumber scabies and leaf spot disease.
• Lemon cucumber: Well-established cucumber variety with yellow, round-shaped fruits; excellent taste.

Pickled gherkins:

• Bidretta (F1): Outdoor variety with high yield and robust growth; good resistance to cucumber scabies.
• Charlotte (F1): robust, modern gherkin with the best fruit characteristics: seedless, bitter-free and aromatic.
• Connie (F1): further development of the well-known variety Bimbostar; very productive and early; good resistance to many adversities such as powdery mildew, mosaic virus or cucumber scab ensure a long harvest period; very suitable for outdoor hobby cultivation.
• Crisan: Turkish and early-ripening variety with strongly ribbed fruits; high yield and excellent taste.
• Eve: Proven and good variety for outdoor cultivation; excellent in taste.
• Geroy (F1): Gherkin with a very high yield and tasty, small fruits; should be best cultivated in a sheltered spot or greenhouse.
• Dragonfly (F1): Very early gherkin with robust growth; resistant to cucumber scabies and cucumber mosaic virus; can be grown both in beds and in flower pots.
• Piccolo Di Parigi: Proven Italian variety with firm flesh; productive; good for salads and canning.
• foothill grapes: Robust and well-growing gherkin; productive and aromatic.
• Zircon (F1): High-yielding (only female flowering) gherkin; robust and resistant to both types of mildew; well suited for cultivation in the hobby area.

In addition to the classic cucumbers and pickles, there is also the Sikkim cucumber. This comes from northern India and is also known as a nettle cucumber. This species can also be grown in our latitudes without any problems.

Harvesting and storage of cucumbers

Outdoor harvesting can begin at the end of July. Growing in a greenhouse can bring harvest time up to four weeks earlier. The type of use determines the time of harvest. Cucumbers or gherkins for a salad are harvested rather early and still unripe. If you let cucumbers ripen, you have to peel them for the salad and possibly scrape out the inside with the seeds. Ripe cucumbers can also be stewed. Ripe gherkins and pickles are usually processed into mustard gherkins.

In general, if you pick regularly, this promotes flowering and ensures a high yield. Most of the time, the harvest can be processed into salads or other dishes in a timely manner. Storage in a cool basement or refrigerator can last up to two weeks. After this time, the cucumbers become limp and can also rot. As the name suggests, the smaller gherkins and gherkins in particular can be pickled very well in a spicy vinegar broth. This means that the cucumbers will keep for many months.

Ingredients and use in the kitchen

Due to the low calorie content of less than 15 kcal per 100 g, cucumbers are suitable for anyone who wants to eat consciously or is on a diet. Cucumbers are not very rich in vitamins, but they are high in potassium and fiber. The peel in particular contains a lot of valuable ingredients, which is why cucumbers from your own garden should not be peeled if possible.

The most classic use of cucumbers is the cucumber salad. Sliced ​​or diced, the fruit gives the salad a wonderfully fresh touch. The same applies to the processing of cucumbers into tzatziki. Without the fresh taste of cucumbers, the Greek dish would probably never have gained such enormous popularity. A recipe that many are not familiar with is called stuffed pickles. To do this, it is best to take riper and larger cucumbers, scrape them out from the inside and fill the resulting space with spicy root vegetables or some kind of Bolognese. Of course, preserving should not be missing either. The cucumbers are soaked in a spicy vinegar or salt solution. The small outdoor cucumbers can be kept for months. For all cooks who like to experiment, you can also try a cucumber kimchi.

Diseases and pests in cucumbers

Cucumbers are prone to some diseases. These include the cucumber mosaic virus, the cucumber wilt, fake and real mildew, as well as insects like spider mites, aphids and scale insects. The latter in particular can be well controlled with biologically based crop protection. If you have often had experience with fungal and viral diseases in your own garden, you should fall back on modern F1 breeds with good resistances. This saves a lot of trouble, especially since you are extremely reluctant to use pesticides in your own garden.

Readers often contact us and ask for advice on what happens when the fruit buds turn brown and fall off after a while. In the vast majority of cases, this is not due to a pest or a disease. Rather, the plants are undersupplied with nutrients. This can be prevented with basic fertilization before planting and regular liquid fertilization. However, if the problem has already occurred, a double foliar fertilization can quickly solve the problem.

Information and expert tips on the topic Fertilize cucumbers see this article.