Avoid wetting the leaves to prevent mildew. When the plants have two true leaves, thin to the one or two most robust plants in each hill.Ĭultivate for weeds carefully to avoid root damage and mulch to conserve water when soil is thoroughly warm.ĭespite originating as a desert plant, modern cucumber strains require deep regular watering. If the weather turns cool and rainy after planting reseed as soon as it warms up. Avoid watering until seedlings are up and growing – sprouts are very susceptible to powdery mildew caused by cool, damp conditions. Put 4-5 seeds in the top of each hill and cover lightly with soil. Plant in hills 2’-3’ apart for upright types, 3′-4’ for vigorous spreaders. Work in complete organic fertilizer with additional fertilizer or finished compost in each hill. Remember to leave room for the long vines to spread. If no raised bed is available, plant in low hills in an exposed sunny, warm location. Pick any overly-large fruit and compost or feed to chickens.Ĭucumbers do well in raised beds with good drainage and air circulation to prevent powdery mildew.Pinch over-long vines to encourage branching.Feed every 3-4 weeks with a side-dressing of complete liquid fertilizer.
Mulch in July when ground is thoroughly warm.Cukes can also be planted from seed in the garden at this time.Harden off and set out seedlings when both days and nights are warm (around the beginning of June in the Pacific Northwest.).Start seeds indoors in mid to late April.Prepare raised beds and erect trellising if desired.
Healthful salves and other skin and hair care products also made from the fruit. Cukes are high in potassium and antioxidants and are a great source of vitamin-K.
The skin of the cucumber is a good source of fiber, so wash them well, but don’t peel (one more reason to grow them at home). Slicing types are harvested when immature and eaten fresh.Ĭucumbers are low in calories, having a high water content and are said to be helpful in digestion and in detoxifying the body as well as being a mild diuretic. (If grown so that fruit hangs down from a trellis, they will be long and straight if grown on the ground, the Armenian will curl into its contorted “snake” form.)įruit colors range from deep green to white, red and orange. Varieties of cucumbers range from small pickling size to long, straight slicing types, to the Armenian or “snake melon” which can reach three feet in length. All types carry male and female flowers separately on each vine. The fruits will be spinier in dry weather. The vines can grow up to ten feet in a season and, along with the fruits, are covered with small, hair-like spines. Once cool spring weather has passed, cukes grow rapidly and will thrive almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Having originated from desert plants in the East Indies, they have a deep, water-seeking tap-root, and prefer hot, dry conditions to cold and damp. A member of the family Curcurbitacae along with squash, melons and pumpkins, it has been cultivated for around 3000 years. The annual garden plant, cucumber (Cucumis sativus,) is a large-leaved trailing vine. In conclusion, NADPH oxidase and endogenous H 2O 2 up-regulation seem to be early events in cucumber response to salinity.How to Grow Cucumbers in Oregon, Washington and B.C. In seedlings subjected to salinity for a longer time, antioxidant enzymes-including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase-were activated, participating in maintaining a steady-state H 2O 2 content in the root cells. Moreover, an increase in the activity of G6PDH, providing the substrate for the NADPH oxidase, was observed. The expression of some CsRboh genes was induced by salt. It was found that enzyme activity increased in parallel with an enhancement in the H 2O 2 level in roots exposed to 100 mM NaCl for 1 h, and to 50 mM NaCl for 1 day. RBOH activity and gene expression, as well as H 2O 2 content, were determined in the roots of plants treated with 50 or 100 mM NaCl for 1 h, and 50 mM NaCl for 1 or 6 days. In the present work, regulation of NADPH oxidase was analyzed in cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L. Plasma membrane NADPH oxidases (RBOHs, EC 1.6.3.1) are known as the main ROS generators involved in plant adaptation to stress conditions.