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"Summertime,
and the living is easy", go the lyrics of a popular song. The
summertime eating is not bad either with the abundance of warm weather
garden produce starting with spinach, lettuce, scallions, and peas
and building to a crescendo or zucchini, sweet corn, beans, tomatoes
and cucumbers.
Cucumbers are one of the favorites of our household. They are easy
to grow, prolific producers, simple to prepare, and satisfying to
eat. There are two main types of cucumbers; the long slicing variety
and the short, blunt-ended pickling variety. There are also "burpless"
cucumbers for those whose digestive systems cannot accommodate the
standard kinds.
"Cukes" can be planted safely when nighttime temperatures
reach 40 degrees, usually about the first week in June in our area.
My market-gardener father planted them "when the blackberries
bloom." Cucumbers like full sun and fertile soil, enriched with
organic material and fertilizer. The seeds can be planted one-half
inch deep in rows five feet apart or in hills (groups of plants, not
mounds) 3 ½ to 4 feet apart. Plants in rows can be thinned
to one or two feet apart. Leave three or four plants in each hill.
Vine varieties may run as far as five feet while bush types have a
spread of two to three feet.
Cucumbers are monecious, bearing male and female blossoms on the same
plant, or gynecious, bearing only female flowers. The male flowers
bloom first on monoecious plants, then fall off after pollinating
the female flower. This leads one to think "crop failure"
but it is not the case. Be patient; the plant knows what it is doing.
Genencious seeds include a small quantity of pollinator varieties
to ensure a crop.
Cucumbers are subject to a variety of fungal diseases. Some seed companies
list disease tolerance of their varieties. These appear on the seed
packet after the name in initials; BW- bacterial wilt; CMV- cucumber
mosaic virus; PM- powdery mildew, etc. The more initials the safer
the seed. Insects also attack cucumbers at various stages but especially
on emergence of the seed from the ground. A good protective measure
is to use a floating row cover to exclude the attackers until the
plants become well established when the attractiveness to insects
diminishes.
If garden space is at a premium try training your cucumbers on a trellis
or a wire fence. The fruit is easy to pick and the "hidden"
cucumber which grows to immense size in the shelter of leaves and
vines is exposed to view before things get out of hand.
The history of the cucumber goes back at least as far as ancient Egypt
where they were used in the pyramid slave labor camps as thirst quenchers.
Travelers in desert caravans carried them in lieu of thermos jugs.
The green skins protected the cool, fresh liquid inside. Alexander
the Great introduced cucumbers to Europe and Julius Caesar brought
them to Rome after his eastern expeditions. When Columbus was planning
his epic voyage of discovery, Queen Isabella insisted that cucumbers
be among the first vegetables to be planted in the lands he reached.
By 1494 Columbus reported that cucumbers were thriving on Hispaniola
(Haiti). From the Caribbean islands they were carried by local residents
to the mainlands of North and South America. European settlers in
North America brought them along as a standard garden crop and so
it has continued for the next four centuries.
As the days continue to lengthen and the night temperatures climb
higher, let's remember the versatile and tasty cucumber as we plan
and plant our gardens. If you have questions about garden vegetables
or other lawn and garden questions, do not hesitate to call the Master
Gardeners at the Cooperative Extension Office (315) 536.5123.
Last
updated: 6/7/01
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