Product Review

Cucumbers do not take well to transplanting, so either start them early in peat pots or plant them directly. Start them indoors about 2 weeks before frost, placing 3-4 seeds 1/2" deep in the pot. Keep the air temperature at least 80 degrees F. When two or three leaves appear on each plant, cut off all but the strongest plant with a scissors. Before planting them, "harden" the seedlings by setting them outside during the day. They should be planted no sooner than a week after the last spring frost, when the air temperatures consistently average 65-75 degrees F. For planting them in a hill, place three seedlings or 7-8 seeds in each hill; space hills 4-5' apart. If rows are preferable, plant seedlings 1' apart or place 5 seeds within 1' and later thin them. Cucumbers love heat and cannot endure even a light frost; if cold temperatures threaten, cover the seedlings. Since cucumbers love to climb, providing a trellis will save space in your garden and produce straighter cucumbers that are easier to pick; however, the vines will simply spread out over the ground if no trellis is provided. Some gardeners plant their cucumbers with corn, since the two plants benefit each other and the cucumbers will climb the corn. Planting several radishes with cucumbers seems to repel damaging cucumber beetles; however, cucumbers do not like being planted near potatoes or aromatic herbs.