How to Grow Good Cucumbers
- 1). Select a location to plant your seeds. Cucumbers do best in full sunlight, so select an area of your garden that receives eight hours of direct sunlight each day. The soil needs to drain well, so do not plant cucumbers in an area that has a tendency to pool water from rain or manual watering.
- 2). Prepare the soil. Three weeks before planting your seeds, spread a 1-inch layer of compost on top of the soil. Use a heavy dirt rake or a tiller to work the compost into the soil to a depth of 12 inches.
- 3). Plant the seeds. Wait until after the last frost of the spring before planting your seeds, a single frost can damage or kill your seedlings. Sow the seeds into the soil in rows at a depth of 1/2 inch. Space the seeds apart every 6 inches. If you plant more than one row, space the rows 36 inches apart.
- 4). Thin the plants. Once the plants have sprouted, thin the plants to a ratio of one plant every 12 inches, or three plants per 36 inches. If you have limited space, install a trellis or small fence section so the vines will grow vertically. Place one end of the vine against or through the trellis or fence, and it should start climbing upwards instead of growing to the side.
- 5). Keep the soil moist. You don't want to over-saturate the soil, but water the plants frequently so the soil does not dry out. Water the plants more in times of drought or little rain, and ease up on your watering schedule if you receive a lot of rain.
- 6). Harvest the cucumbers. Depending on which type of cucumber you grow, it can take between 50 and 65 days to harvest after planting the seeds. Check the information on the seed packet for each specific type of cucumber. Do not allow any cucumbers to turn yellow on the vine, and immediately pick any that yellow ones you see.
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