Cucumis sativus

Cucumber

Annual trailing herbaceous vine with edible fruit. Rough, hairy, triangular-ovate leaves. Flowers are short stalked and clustered in axils on the main stem. Fruit are oblong to globular to short-cylindrical, with firm white flesh.

Uses

Once fruit matures, harvesting should be done at least weekly. Cool store between 7-10 degrees C. Used in salads or eaten raw. Vegetable.

Culture

Seed will not germinate below 15 degrees C. Grows best between 25-30 degrees and will tolerate temperatures above 38 degrees C if given adequate water. Requires frequent irrigation and prefers high humidity. Prefers well drained soil or raised beds. Requires high levels of nutrients for a good crop. Apply liquid fertiliser during fruiting. Soil pH should be approx 5.5 Planting alongside beans will aid nutrient requirements. Can be attacked by cucumber beetle, squash bug, leaf miner, leaf hoppers, aphis and spider mites. Diseases problems include powdery mildew, downey mildew, anthracnose, fusarium wilt, scab, alternaria leaf spot and several virus diseases. Pinch out the terminal buds to encourage branching and stimulate female flowers. Vines can be trained vertically using a trellis. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/profiles/c10cuke.html

Propagation

No information available at this time...

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