Cucumber Donation Tracker

 
Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pruning/Trellising | Pests | Companions | Varieties | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts

🌱 How & Where to Grow Cucumbers:

• Direct sow when soil 60°F or start 3-4 weeks early.
• Space plants 12 inches apart in rows or 2-3 per hill.
• Install trellis at planting – vertical growing saves space and prevents disease!
• Sunlight: Full sun (6-8 hours) for best production.
• Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0.
• Soil Amendment: Add compost and ensure excellent drainage

Cucumbers are 96% water – consistent moisture is the key to crisp, non-bitter fruits!

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Minimum 60°F soil. More cold-tolerant than melons.

• Planting: Wait for consistent 60°F soil temperature.
• Growing: Optimal growth at 65-75°F.
• Growth slows below 50°F.
• More forgiving of cool nights than other cucurbits.

Michigan tip: Late May planting usually avoids both cold soil and peak cucumber beetle pressure!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Essential – irregular watering causes bitter fruit.
• Watering: 1-2 inches weekly at soil level.
• Mulch: Critical to maintain even moisture and cool roots.
• Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks once flowering begins.
• Support: Train vines up trellis 2-3 times weekly when young.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Slicing: 6-8 inches. Pickling: 3-6 inches. Pick daily!

• Size matters – harvest at the right size for your variety!
• Slicing cucumbers: Dark green, firm, 6-8 inches long.
• Pickling types: 3-4 inches for sweet, 4-6 for dills.
• Yellowing indicates overripe – remove immediately.

Daily harvesting is crucial – mature cucumbers signal the plant to stop producing!

🧺 Harvesting:

Cut stem with knife. Check under leaves. Harvest young.

• Always cut, don’t pull – pulling damages vines.
• Harvest in morning when crisp and cool.
• Check carefully – cucumbers hide under foliage.
• Remove overripe fruits immediately to maintain production.
• Handle gently – bruising affects storage quality.

✂️ Pruning/Trellising:

Train main vine up. Remove lower leaves. Optional: remove laterals.

• Vertical growing on 5-6 foot trellis improves everything!
• Train main stem up trellis, secure with soft ties.
• Remove bottom 6 inches of leaves for airflow.
• For maximum yield: Keep all lateral branches.
• For easier management: Remove laterals below first 5 nodes.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Cucumber beetles (primary pest), bacterial wilt, aphids.

• Cucumber beetles – striped and spotted types spread bacterial wilt.
• Bacterial wilt – fatal disease with no cure, prevent with row covers.
• Aphids – check undersides of leaves, blast with water.
• Powdery mildew – inevitable by late summer, choose resistant varieties.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Radishes, nasturtiums, marigolds, beans. Avoid aromatic herbs.

• Radishes planted nearby deter cucumber beetles.
• Nasturtiums act as trap crops for aphids.
• Marigolds repel various cucumber pests.
• Beans fix nitrogen for heavy-feeding cucumbers.
• Avoid sage and other aromatic herbs – may affect flavor.

🥒 Varieties:

Slicing: ‘Straight Eight’, ‘Marketmore 76’. Pickling: ‘Boston Pickling’.

• ‘Straight Eight’: 58 days, classic slicer, 8-inch fruits.
• ‘Marketmore 76’: 68 days, disease resistant, reliable.
• ‘Boston Pickling’: 55 days, perfect 3-6 inch picklers.
• ‘Suyo Long’: 61 days, Asian type, burpless, heat tolerant.
• ‘Salad Bush’: 57 days, compact for containers.

🫙 Preservation:

Fresh 7-10 days. Traditional pickling. Refrigerator pickles.

• Fresh storage: Wrap in paper towels, store in crisper.
• Dill pickles: Traditional fermented or vinegar method.
• Bread & butter: Sweet pickle slices.
• Refrigerator pickles: Quick, no-canning method.
• Relish: Use abundant cucumbers in canned relish.
• Not recommended: Freezing (becomes mushy).

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Dill pickles, bread & butter pickles, cucumber gazpacho.

• Classic dill pickles – garlic, dill, and time!
• Asian cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame.
• Tzatziki sauce with yogurt and garlic.
• Cucumber water – spa refreshment at home.
• Cucumber sandwiches for elegant tea parties.

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Use row covers until flowering begins.
• Trellis growing reduces disease pressure.
• Plant disease-resistant varieties.
• Succession plant every 2 weeks through July.
• Michigan’s humidity makes trellising essential.
• Choose parthenocarpic varieties for greenhouse growing.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• 96% water.
• “Cool as a cucumber” refers to temperature difference.
• Cucumbers are actually fruits, not vegetables.
• Romans used cucumbers to treat scorpion bites and bad eyesight.
• The phrase “in a pickle” comes from Dutch sailors preserving cucumbers.
• Cucumbers can reduce puffy eyes – the ascorbic acid helps!
• World’s largest cucumber weighed 23 pounds 7 ounces.
• Americans consume 8.5 pounds of pickles per person annually!