How to Grow Cucumbers – Step by Step

1. Prepare the soil
   Cucumbers are heavy producers and need rich, fertile soil. Work in plenty of compost or well-aged manure before planting.

2. Warmth matters
   Cucumbers love warm, moist soil. Planting seedlings on a compost or manure heap helps in two ways: it feeds the plants and gently warms the soil as the material breaks down. Keep the soil evenly watered, and cover young plants with poly when the weather is cool.

3. Starting seeds

   • Direct sowing: Plant outdoors once the soil warms to about 70°F (21°C). In Southern Ontario, late May sowing usually produces cucumbers by mid-July.

   • Starting indoors: For an earlier harvest, sow seeds indoors in April and transplant seedlings once the soil is warm enough.

4. Spacing plants
   Cucumbers need room to spread. Space plants at least 2 feet apart in all directions. If growing on a trellis, you can plant them closer, about 1 foot apart.

5. Encourage branching
   Pinch off the tip of the first sprout after seedlings start growing. This encourages branching—and more branches mean more cucumbers!

6. Watering
   Cucumbers need consistent moisture. Keep the soil evenly moist (not soggy). Water stress can cause the fruits to taste bitter.

7. Pollination
   Cucumbers produce both male and female flowers. Female flowers (with a tiny cucumber behind them) must be pollinated. Outdoors, bees and other insects usually take care of this.

   • To attract pollinators, spray flowers with a light sugar-water solution (1 Tbsp sugar per 500 ml water).

   • If growing indoors, hand-pollinate by gently rubbing the center of a male flower onto a female flower.

8. Feed regularly
   Add organic matter, such as compost, around the roots from time to time to keep plants productive.

9. Mulching
   Mulch around plants with grass clippings, hay, or other organic mulch. This helps retain moisture and reduces weeds. Avoid commercial mulching products, like colored bark clippings, as it can contain harmful chemicals that will be sucked in by your cucumbers and will end up in your body.