Cucumber Growing Masterclass: The Secret to Perfect Cucumbers
Growing your own crunchy, crispy cucumbers is one of the juiciest joys of summer. With a little know-how these tasty cukes can give you a bumper crop and come in an array of surprising colours and textures, bound to impress all your friends at your party. Enjoy them in salads, in your water and in your cocktails of course! Cucumbers also store incredibly well as pickles to last you all winter too!
But... there are a few pitfalls to watch out for. In this week's episode Ben reveals his secrets to growing perfect cucumbers, and lots of them!
Cucumbers are of course squash family plants, so for more on avoiding squash problems, check out these videos next:
Why Aren't My Squashes Fruiting? Boost pollination of squash, zucchini/courgettes & pumpkins 🐝
• Why Aren't My Squashes...
How to Avoid Common Squash Problems
• How to Avoid Common Sq...
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Love growing cucumbers. I was never really into pickles until I started growing cucumbers. Now I make kosher dill spears, sweet and sour sandwich pickles, and relish. Nothing like home grown and home made!
So true! 😀
i feel like growing cucumbers is also one of the most rewarding and fun to watch vegs since once the plant has developed, they just keep coming in on a weekly basis.
Brilliant video from one of KZhead's best gardening channels. Thanks Ben for sharing your in depth knowledge.
I adore this man, his knowledge and enthusiasm is contagious! I love my cucumbers and the advice is stellar, thank you.
Thanks so much for watching! 😀
Also just to add by following groveg I've been very successful and improving my tactics on growing this year.... This summer is going to the busiest and yet the most rewarding. All thanks to you Ben 😊
That is so lovely to read. Happy gardening! :-)
My cucumber soup 1 big cucumber with skin in slices, 1 smal handfull of cut up leek put under water with chicken stock let it cook for 10 a 15 min At Salt and peper if needed at 3 table spoons of cut up dille and about 150 ml of creem Let it simmer for 5 min, mixe the soup At slices of smoked samon before serving Enjoy😊
Wow. I've never heard of cucumber soup. Interesting.
That sounds fabulous!! My grandfather has an excellent green thumb for growing cucumbers, I'll try making him this soup when his cucumbers come in later this summer. 😊
Can do this with courgettes as well and liquidise. Very quick and easy soup and if you grow courgettes you always have too many!
Sounds like world war two ration meal😂
Yum❤
For a bitter cucumber you can cut the vine end and rub it on the cut surface. A foamy white substance will be pulled to the edges of the rubbing area, and that is the bitter compound. Keep rubbing until the foam stops forming. Wash it all off and your cucumber will no longer be bitter.
This is a superb tip, thanks for sharing!
Cucumbers is one of those plants I've never had problems growing. I just throw the seeds at the ground and soon I've got them coming out my ears. Kind of like squash or zucchini. I am going to try growing them up a trellis this year cause I always end up with 2 foot long monster cucumbers hidden under leaves.
I’ve never been able to grow them successfully. They seem to get overripe on one end, and undeveloped on the other.
Lucky you. I get very little harvest from container plants
Cucumbers are water hogs!!!! It's hard for me to commit to daily watering here in 9b So Louisiana
I just recently subscribed to the Growveg Garden Planner. What an amazing tool to help us in our garden. Ive a lot to learn navigating it, but I really enjoy it and I look forward to using it for years to come! Edit to add: your humor wasn't wasted on me. "What does your milk bring to the yard?" 😂 too funny.
I have used it for 6 years and love it.
@@goldierocks. its perfect and very affordable. Im sure you're very quick and efficient by now. I'm still learning all the functions, tips and tricks.
Thanks so much. The Garden Planner is always evolving/improving, so I think it's genuinely useful! And so pleased the humor was picked up! :-)
GrowVeg is sharing all good and honest advice.
The next generation: Did you know, you can make cuttings. Just take a sideshoot or the topcut and put in water. It will pruduce roots in a couple of weeks and be ready to plant out. I live i Denmark. I do this in the beginning of July🌱
Great idea! 🥒
Seriously?! I have to give it a try!! My cucumbers dont produce fertile seeds, so I have to keep buying the seeds ever so often.
🤖
@@jamesbrock7908 yes, I took the topcut les than 14 days ago and it has developer nice roots👍👍👍
@@annettebrdsgaard2645 What is topcut?
when you said that if 'female flower gets pollinated by a male flower it can make them bitter' i just about spit out my porridge! 😂😂
Glad to have raised a smile! :-)
i bought a cucumber plant on a whim and now i determined to make it flourish
Perfect timing, planting mine tomorrow.
Cucumbers are also called "burpless" or "self-fertile" here in the USA. I prefer a seedless cucumber but many burpless will have seeds if left to grow on longer. If I pick them smaller, I get fewer seeds. I pickled many cucumbers last year and hope to do so this year. I'm going to try growing one plant on my back deck in a 10 gallon grow bag and let it sprawl along the deck and hang down over the edge so I can keep it off the ground and don't need a trellis. I put insect netting tied around the main stem at the soil level to keep vine borers out.
I always get such a kick out of your videos. The cucumbers on the eyes was great 😁 Just waiting for it to warm up here in Oregon before starting my cukes.
So pleased you enjoy the videos. Thank you for watching!
Your videos are always soooooo informative and easy to understand. This is a keeper since I like to grow cucs on my deck in pots.
HibBen, great video on cucumbers with plenty of useful hints & tops too. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Have never grown a cucumber but just watched your video very inspired you are very easy to watch nice on the eye 😊
Absolutely brilliant video, you cover literally everything. Thank you
I had never given it any thought to make a second sowing for cukes. Thanks Ben!
I just planted cucumbers this evening looking forward to it😊
I love this veggie guy so many great tips while watching good content, keep it up my friend big ups from Sweden
Hi Ben., first time out growing cues. I got Market more as a neighbour had these & they were lovely. I was so pleased that you done this masterclass. Along with all your tips I'm feeling much more confident. Thanks 👍
Your videos are really informative and the way you do it is really wholesome, love everything about it, thank you for being who you are ❤
I planned on starting my gardening today but sprained my ankle. Thanks for giving me some more knowledge so I’ll be better prepared for my unplanned late start in a week or two!
Get well soon! 😊
That sucks, hope your ankle recovers very quickly!
Oh poor you. Hope you are fully recovered very soon!
My first time growing cucumbers, thanks for this very informative video.
I'm growing cucs fo the 1st time this year, so this is perfect info. Thanks,
"What does your milk bring to the yard?" HAHA!!! See what you did there 🤣
Lol apparently it brings less powdery mildew. 😂
Glad my terrible sense of humor was picked up! ;-)
@MikkisoXTRA I don’t understand the joke 🙈🙈🙈 I‘m not a native speaker. Would you mind explaining? (I love a good pun) 😂😆😅
@@LittleKikuyu its an old dumb song titled: "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard " you probably can listen to it on KZhead. 😂
Now I’m gonna have that song in my head for the weekend. Thanks!
Awesome video... thanks so much. Have not grown cucumbers before so this was exactly what i needed. Appreciate you covering cucumber beetles even though they are not an issue where you live
Just what I needed to know!! Thanks a bunch! I hope I can get some growing.
Great video, I have just sown mine just before this video popped up. Looking forward to more masterclass videos
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge.
Expert advice. Thank you!
My Party Time cucumbers have been in sunken bed in the unheated tunnel for about 1.5 weeks now and they have grown at least 10x bigger than when I planted them out. Off to a great start!
Great job!
Thank you for the list! We have so many pests that want to destroy our plants, I’m planning to plant them within insect netting this year, using only parthenocarpic varieties.
Thank you Ben for your sharing,it’s very useful
Lots of great info, thank you! Also, gorgeous greenhouse! I hope to have one someday
absolutely get those parthenocarpic cucumbers, i've been growing them for a few years and the yield is so much better.
Great video! I let my first group of cucumbers just keep growing and the largest ones were very bitter & 17in long! This year I’ll be letting them grow up instead of horizontal. Thank you
Another great video! I'm always learning on this channel!
Awesome series!!👍 Cant wait for the fruit bush episodes !
I grow lemon cucumbers and they’re wonderful!
Thank you for video very interesting and usefull every time i see your video i want to run to my allotment in north london your entusiasm is contagius
What a great video - very detailed -thanks .
More very useful tips - thank you Ben. Love your cucumber eyes 😅👍
Cucumbers are my favourite vegie to grow in the summer! Nothing like a home grown cucumber! 😍🥒💚
So true! :-)
Great advice and as always beautiful photography. 🎉🎉
Love your channel ben! It's always so wonderful
Good morning Ben, a well explained lesson on the planting of cucumbers. If the basic is correct then planting success must follow. As we are now at the end of Autumn, I will obtain a packet of seeds and have them ready for the Spring and then just let the cucumbers do their thing, growing! Have a good day, take care. Kind regards.
Thank you for this! I decided to experiment with winter sowing this year and used that method with almost everything I plan to grow this year. I have only a few jugs which haven't shown any germination at all, and my cucumber jug is one of them. I'd been worried that something was wrong with my seeds, but now I'm thinking that the nights are still too cool for them and they may yet sprout later!
Thx for the inspo, Ben! Just sowed some cucumber seeds :)
Nice one!
We are starting our first cucumbers this year - I'm so excited for it because our kids absolutely adore them (which is in itself reason to celebrate, I didn't like 🥒 as a kid ... In fact I am growing to like themnow, thanks to my kids 😃😃😃) and so they are going to grow them in their little garden beds - with the help of THE best gardening teacher on KZhead!!! ❤ Thank you so much for this masterclass - it just came at the best possible time (having a bit of April snow outside so gardening is on a few days break now) and we are already diligently taking notes!! 🥒
So delighted to read you're starting your first cucumbers this season. Great stuff! I'm sure you'll get a fantastic crop. Happy gardening! :-)
Thanks for the Greek lesson Ben .
Great information! Thank you
Some very good information in this video Ben, thank you for sharing 👍
Got mine cooking away in the polytunnel, great stuff Ben 🙏🙏🌱🌱
Good job as usual thank you, I learned so much from you, appreciate. 😁👍
Brilliant video, thank you.
i've just stumbled upon this channel and your style of content perfectly fits my needs.. thank you so much alr, I'm most likely going to be binge watching your videos for the better part of the upcoming season. Also you're a really cool and entertaining creator, keep up the great work! Greetings and much love from Germany
What kind words, thank you so much. Happy gardening! 🧑🌾
As always great information
Wonderful information and tips! 🫶🏽
Excellent information!
🐝Thanks for the great video🌻 Nice handy vid Ben, good tips! Need to sow mine going for a munchkin
Wonderful! Thanks. I've had trouble with bitter and overly curled cucumbers these past few seasons. It gets very hot here very quickly, so I suspect heat stress. I may try a little shade cloth mid-day.
Someone advised me that consistent watering is the key
Yes, a little shade may help if it's really hot around midday/early afternoon. And keep them well watered. :-)
Thanks Ben! Great vid. Had no idea there were all female cucumbers. Living here in the Caribbean is ideal for growing cucumbers as the weather is constantly hot. Thanks also for the tip on powdery mild dew.
This is my first experience with your channel. I love it. Great information and really energetic, upbeat, and charming presentation. I rarely subscribe on first visit, but this time its a no brainer. Thank you!
Thank you so much - and a very warm welcome to the channel!
Thanks so much, my pretend Uncle Ben!!! 😅🎉❤
Excellent video, Ben! Last year was my first time growing cucumbers. They didn't like my weak sandy soil, but I'm determined to give them a better shot this year with plenty of compost and amendments. I love pickles!
Hope you manage to enjoy a fantastic crop this year. :-)
Thank you Mr Ben : )
I was taught they're called Lemon-Apple cucumbers & I LOVE them! Years ago I mentioned them to a friend...who thought I had somehow managed to hybridize the 3! The confusion that ensued...the explaining... "You can't...you...no...but one's a VINE, the others are TREES! How could...I...no, but...but...but citrus!..." "Well I don't knnnnow..." "We went to the same high school!!! You did better than me!"
That’s fantastic! :-)
Thank you for sharing all your considerable expertise and experience. I love growing lemon cucumbers because they are so obliging. Even with giving as many away as the locals could stand I had vats of cucumber relish to jar and distribute around the locality/Christmas presents all winter - and we are still working our way through the cucumber soup I froze. This year I may be buried by them because I found a forgotten seed packet of the usual [green] variety that was well out of date and sowed the lot in addition to my lemon and a few green varieties, expecting nothing and every one has just germinated. I think I need another polytunnel, even after I give friends and neighbours as many plants I can persuade them to adopt.
Sounds like you’re a total cucumber growing pro!
@@GrowVeg I wish - it was an accidental experiment because my grandchildren always find unusual seeds to give me and the results were far more prolific than I anticipated!. It turns out a large number of people appreciate the cucumber relish so squeezing in more plants than is reasonable has its benefits. I can't bear to send the extras to a certain death so invested in a small overspill polytunnel. Lunacy obviously increases with old age. Thank you again for all your videos - I wish I had a tiny part of your knowledge and through your kindness I am borrowing it.
Great guide!
Wonderful Cucumber 🥒 ♥️ Video! I was successful with Armenian (really a melon) that produced until December. I just planted my Yamato extra long seedlings next to 2 young grapevines behind the chamomile a few days ago!
All cuc's are melons lol
Excellent video!! My tip is, and I do this for cucumbers, gherkin, squash. I put the seeds in a moist square of Jcloth in zip bag in a sealed container by the boiler, an airing cupboard will work. I check twice a day and when there is approx 1/2 inch of root I'll transplant to a pot. This way I know the seed is viable. Happy gardening :-)
Great suggestion! :-)
I only started gardening this year, and have one cucumber plant doing good so far, but im growing it for my tortoises 😅.
Nice sharing my dear brother
I was always under the assumption that cukes don't transplant well, so I've always started in either peat or cow pots...the latter is preferred. Will be trying your way this week! 🤞
Great tips, even for those in climates which aren't your own! I find my cucumbers are my most productive plants but you're definitely right, you have to keep your eye on them the most for the cukes which are hiding and maturing and the powdery mildew (I haven't had the beetles yet but i'm on Toronto so it won't be long). I let my cucumbers sprawl all over my fence and trim as much as possible and it definitely works, I need to pay more attention to my Zucchini however (courgette anyone?) as I always end up with a ton of powdery mildew :(
I think the milk solution trick should work on the courgettes too. And keep everything well watered of course! :-)
Great video as always 🇳🇿❤️
MY FAV.....peel and thin slice a cuc, add equal parts sugar , white vinegar , heavy cream and minced fresh dill or green onions ....such a refreshing side !!!! adjust amounts to your liking !!!! cheers Cherryl from Canada
Yummy! 😋
@@GrowVeg I also do this recipe with fresh , crisp leaf lettuce , dress the lettuce just minutes before serving ! enjoy.........PS don't tell anyone but I drink the left over dressing straight out of the bowl , after the meal is over when no one is looking !!!! SHHHHH
Very good.
I personally love Mexican mini cucumber. Incredibly productive and strong way into autumn in my area (Northern Germany) 💚 They taste slightly lemony and add a nice tang to every dish 😊 I discovered them last year and I never want to be without them again. 😅
Great recommendation, thanks. :-)
Danke für den Tip!
My favorite variety is Wautoma. It was developed by the USDA and is burpless, bitter free, and resistant to a wide variety of diseases, including powdery mildew, which is my biggest problem. I grow in a climate with hot summers, and they continue produce even when temperatures get into the upper 90's Fahrenheit. You can pick small for gherkins, or let grow a little longer for snacking size or pickles. They're wonderfully prolific, and I like that I can save the seeds from year to year. I like the flavor so much I don't bother growing slicing types anymore and just plant enough for pickles and eating fresh. My bees love the blossoms and are always visiting them as soon as they open.
A great recommendation, thank you. 😀
Thanks Ben very helpful video I'll confess o have already brought a cucumber seed packet but it was quite cheap so 🤞 I shall now look into a quality variety I have brought chicken pellets though 👍
Off to a strong start Loraine. 😀
This year is a Bread & Butter pickle making season. I am growing two types of cucumbers, Katrina, and Beit Alpha. I am only growing six plants, as both are parthenocarpic. I pickle, snack, and eat salads with cucumbers, and six planta are going to produce more cucumbers than I can eat. It is a good thing that I have family and friends nearby to pawn the excess onto. After this year, I'll know which cucumber varieties produce the best cucumbers and the quantity I can expect. If all goes as expected, I may cut the number of plants to three plants, giving me more room to grow shelling peas.
Always worth growing a few more plants… just in case. 😀
Or cucamelon, great for lunch box. Baking soda helps with mildew
My first time growing cucumbers. Growing burpless tasty F1. Just waiting for some warmer nights to transfer them to the greenhouse. Thanks for the tips and advice.
I learnt a lot from this thanks Ben, slugs and snails seam to like bird seed
Omg I needed this cuke masterclass! I bought a cucumber plant at Costco yesterday and left it outside overnight; huge mistake! The temperature dropped and now it looks dead 😵😩 I brought it inside this morning in hopes some heat and gentle air makes it come back to life. This is my 4th year growing season and everyday I learn something new but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like a jerk bag for having little brain cells yesterday and doing this my baby 😭
I felt this 100% 😂
@@AstarteAnthro 😩😭
Don’t feel bad. Every day is a learning date for gardeners. :-)
Fabulous information thanks so much ...wish you'd pop over to Nottingham 😁and guide me a little...I share this garden so trying to avoid taking over the space is so difficult 🙈
A keen gardener rarely has enough space for all their ideas! :-)
@@GrowVeg so very true 😁🌻
Agree
you should look into aspirin for mildew, not only did they find it helps protect the plant from it but it also increased the fruit count in tomatoes
Great tip, thank you so much!
Armenian are my favorite for general use.❤
I love your videos! I always have one question… How do you decide what to grow inside your greenhouse? I’ve always thought about growing tomatoes in my greenhouse and have seen others do it. Now you are growing cucumbers in your greenhouse. I’m just wondering how you decide which plants to keep in the greenhouse. Many thanks from Pennsylvania.❤
I grow both Vining, tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse, as well as peppers in pots. :-)
Thank you, Ben. Is it so that you get a longer harvest? Because it remains warm in the greenhouse and steady temperature?
Yes! It’s good to put the warmth-loving veggies in the greenhouse to protect them from cooler temperatures and prolong the growing season (in spring and then again in autumn) ☺️
Oh, and tomatoes and cucumbers don’t usually like rain. It makes them susceptible to fungus infections. A greenhouse protects them! 😊
I planted 6 cucumber plants one plant has 5 cucumbers growing on them now. I planted March 21st I am in Louisiana so our last frost date was March 15th
That’s a great result already! 😀
Thank you, that is so helpfull. Are there any variaties of which you can save the seeds, and how to save them?
You could save any varieties that are traditional open pollinated cucumbers. Just not ones that are hybrids. And you would harvest the seeds once the fruits have turned yellow and are slightly soft to the touch.
@@GrowVeg Thank you!
I love your videos and when I'm up late with the poorly baby, it's a joy to garden vicariously with you! I MUST ask though, do you have some American in you? Or are you based in a very English looking bit of the US? Or are you just good ar communicating with a US fanbase? I can't stop wondering! (Zucchini and inches!)
Thanks for your kind comment. I'm in southern England and use both US and British English to be more widely understood and international. I don't normally say zucchini or use inches! Hope your baby and you have had a good night's sleep! :-)
@@GrowVeg thank you for that, my tired old head couldn't shake the query! Haha. We did finally get some sleep and planted some strawberries together, foolishly before a bit of frost up here in Lancashire, but I think they're ok! Thanks for your reply, keep up the wonderful work!
Oops I started mine 1 month ago 😅
Just subscribed - great videos! I'm across the pond but find your tips still work here :) Question - I've been reading up on calcium supplements - we had horrible blossom end rot on a few of our tomatoes last year. One site mentioned that calcium might actually help with powdery mildew. We had more of problem with that on our winter squash plants, not cucumbers. We're trying gypsum this year as it does not alter soil pH. Have you ever used this? Do you find it helps with mildew/fruit set/fruit production? We're trying it with our peppers this year as well. We're always experimenting to find out what does best for us and how to mitigate problems - preferably before they start! Thanks again! Love your channel!
Thanks so much for subscribing. And welcome! I’ve never tried gypsum so please do let me know how you get on with that. Blossom end rot, while due to a lack of calcium, is more often down to irregular watering, which means less calcium reaches the fruits. So concentrate on consistent watering as your first priority. 😀
Try adding a few tablespoons of Bone Meal around the base of each plant while planting. Either granulated or powder Bone Meal. Reportedly this will help prevent blossom end rot. Consistent watering too.
I only grow Asian cucumbers they're sweet no bitterness at all, it grow very fast. I picked and eat it as it grow the smaller the better. I had loads of it with just 3 seeds i sow.