HOW TO GROW CUCUMBER AT HOME

Cucumbers are excessively yield plants which are especially easy to grow in a backyard garden. Bush forms of this tasty vegetable may even be grown in containers on an rental porch or balcony. Once you’ve accurately organized the soil, all they really want is masses of water and a lot of sunlight.
Cucumbers are believed to have originated in India and were part of our cuisine for hundreds of year now. It is very easy to grow this summer essential in your terrace or kitchen garden.
Adding cucumber to your diet has a lot of benefits:
1. They are full of nutrition
2. They contains antioxidants
3. It promotes hydration in the human body
4. They aids in weight loss
5. It also helps in lowering the blood sugar

How to grow cucumber at home:

1. Find a sunny location to plant the cucumber seeds. Cucumbers are a type of tropical vegetable, and crave a lot of direct sunlight.
2. Remove weeds from that area. Cucumbers are required to be grown in a weed-free area. Weeds present in the will drain nutrients and water from the soil, starving your cucumbers. Some small weed cuttings can be left out in the soil for fertilizer.
3. Spread the granular fertilizers into the soil. Incase you are using inorganic fertilizer, the slow-release granular fertilizer will best feed your cucumbers throughout the growth cycle. Suggestion: Use a trowel of a small rake to chop up and loosen the soil before adding fertilizer. This allows the fertilizer to mix into the soil more easily and thoroughly.
4. Add organic material to the soil to improve its quality. The ideal soil for cucumbers is light, sandy and loose. This type of soil gets warmer more quickly and retains that warmth more easily.
5. Pick a bush or vine plant. Vine plants are far more common than bush plants. However, if you have limited space, a bush plant may be easier for you to work with. Bush cucumbers can be planted in containers.
6. Choose a tasty variety. There are many different varieties of cucumbers. If you’re not sure which one to pick, visit a local farmer’s market and sample several different varieties until you find your favorite.
7. Plant when the soil is at least 70 °F (21 °C). Being tropical plants, cucumbers are exceedingly sensitive to cold temperatures. Wait until at least 2 weeks after the date of the last frost to plant your cucumbers.
8. Moisten the soil before seeding. Stick your finger in the soil to check its moisture level before planting. If you feel dry soil up to your first knuckle, water the soil before seeding using a gentle hose or watering can.
9. Start from a seed. Cucumbers have fragile root systems. It’s much easier to seed the garden directly rather than trying to transplant seedlings. Drop 3 or 4 seeds together in a group every 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm).
10. Push seeds slightly into the soil. Cucumber seeds should be no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) into the soil. You can also lay them on top of the soil, and then cover them over with topsoil of a similar depth.
11. Give the plants plenty of room. Vining plants, in particular, require a lot of space. Cucumber vines can grow 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) long. In large gardens, the vines can simply spread over the ground. If you have limited space, you may want fewer plants.
12. Set up a trellis. Growing cucumbers vertically increases exposure to sunlight, giving you a higher yield. It also keeps the vegetables cleaner. If you want to grow your cucumbers vertically, go ahead and get your trellises ready before the vines start to grow.
13. Add mulch once seedlings sprout up. Mulch helps prevent the return of weeds, which can deprive your cucumbers of nutrients. It also keeps the soil warm and moist. For additional warmth, use a darker mulch.
14. Keep your cucumbers well-hydrated. The soil surrounding cucumber plants should be slightly moist at all times. Plan on giving your cucumbers at least 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of water a week to fulfill their hydration needs.
15. Shade your cucumbers from excess heat. If you live in an area where summer temperatures routinely climb above 90 °F (32 °C), your cucumbers will likely need some shade from the afternoon sun.
16. Cover your plants with netting to protect them from wildlife. A fine mesh netting will keep rabbits and chipmunks away. Covering seeds and tiny seedlings with a berry basket keeps them safe from getting dug up by animals.
17. Fertilize again once flowers begin to bud. If you fertilized your soil before seeding, wait until runners appear on the vines and the flowers begin to bud, then add a mild liquid fertilizer or organic feed such as compost or aged manure every 2 weeks.
18. Use insecticides or fungicides to combat pests and disease. You can buy both organic and inorganic insecticides and fungicides at your local gardening center. Spray your plants at the first sign of insects or fungus.
19. Pick your cucumbers at the optimal size. For higher production, you don’t want to leave your cucumbers on the vine too long or allow them to get too big. The best size at which to harvest your cucumbers depends on the variety you’ve planted.
20. Pick cucumbers often. Generally speaking, the more frequently you pick cucumbers, the more cucumbers the plant will grow. Check your plants every day and pick the cucumbers that are around optimal size for their variety.
21. Use pruning shears to pick cucumbers cleanly. Take hold of the cucumber, then cut the stem about 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) above the end.
22. Many people think they can simply pull or twist a cucumber off a vine. However, when you do this you risk damaging the vine.
23. Refrigerate your cucumbers to keep them crisp. Try to use your cucumbers as soon as possible after you harvest them for the best flavor and texture. If necessary, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.

Take a step ahead and plant your own cucumber plant today to embrace a healthy lifestyle this summer.