Growing Cucumbers - From Seed to Pickles

Cucumber (lat. Cucumis sativus) is a plant from the gourd family (lat. Cucurbitaceae). The basic types of cucumbers are pickling cucumbers (picklers) and salad cucumbers. Picklers are harvested at a smaller size, because that's when they are tastiest and most suitable for processing (preserving). From salad cucumbers, you can prepare an excellent cucumber salad. You can harvest them a bit later, as they are bred so that even at a larger size they don't lose any of their delicious taste. Your own cucumbers - picklers, salad cucumbers, and greenhouse cucumbers - usually can't be compared with store-bought ones. Nothing can replace a freshly picked cucumber from the garden. Grow your own too, the selection of varieties is huge.

In this article you will learn how to choose the right variety of pickling cucumbers for your climate conditions, you'll clarify whether to prefer rough-skinned or smooth-skinned cucumbers. You'll be reassured that picklers in brine will never be bitter. You'll choose from our range the best varieties. After reading the article, you'll know how to deal with a lack of pollinators for the flowers. There will also be information about growing and sowing cucumbers. In conclusion, we'll give you a few tips on how to fight cucumber downy mildew. And do you know the so-called vertical system?

Choosing the right pickler variety is sometimes alchemy...

Many varieties of pickling cucumbers have been bred, but not all are suitable for growing in cooler climatic conditions. Growers in warmer areas can afford to grow a wider range of varieties, because even heat-loving varieties will grow for them without problems. Conversely, growers from cooler and higher altitude areas must be more cautious when selecting seeds and choose more resistant varieties. Today, seeds are mostly supplied with the designation F1, which means they are hybrids of maternal and paternal cucumber lines. Yields from these hybrids are much higher and more consistent compared to original non-hybrid varieties.

Coarse-Spined versus Fine-Spined Pickling Cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers can be either coarse-spined or fine-spined. Coarse-spined varieties are sometimes scorned because they prick during harvest, so many growers prefer fine-spined cucumbers. Being deterred by cucumber spines can sometimes be detrimental, as these varieties are usually more resilient and therefore suitable for harsher climate conditions. What good is it if a cucumber doesn't prick you during harvest when there are no fruits on the plant at all? Coarse-spined varieties recover better from sharp temperature drops during harvest season and quickly start fruiting again. Fine-spined varieties often have great difficulty recovering, sometimes they don't recover at all.

Choose fine-spined varieties for growing in warmer areas, while coarse-spined ones will grow almost anywhere.

The foundation of successful cultivation lies in flower pollinators or parthenocarpic pickling cucumber varieties.

No Need to Fear Bitter Pickling Cucumbers

With pickling cucumbers, fears of bitter fruits are unfounded - this problem affects salad cucumbers to a much greater extent. Pickling cucumbers are bred so that their fruits are almost never bitter. A minimal percentage of bitter cucumbers can be caused by very dry and hot weather during harvest season. Bitterness in pickling cucumbers is only a problem if you want to consume them fresh, as the bitterness completely disappears through canning. Anyone who finds bitterness bothersome can choose one of the specially bred varieties labeled as "genetically non-bitter", which truly never turn bitter. Unfortunately, these are mostly fine-spined varieties, so many growers are out of luck. Genetically non-bitter varieties in our range include, for example, Bohdana F1, Fatima F1, Romana F1.

Canned cucumbers will never be bitter.

Which Cucumber Varieties to Try?

The range of cucumbers offered is very diverse, so you really have plenty to choose from. Among coarse-spined pickling cucumbers, probably the most commonly grown and thoroughly proven variety is Regina F1, which with proper cultivation yields high outputs of quality fruits and is also very resistant to cucumber downy mildew. A hot newcomer on the market is the hybrid Viola F1, which is an even improved Regina. Genetically non-bitter coarse-spined pickling cucumbers include, for example, Jitka F1 and Lada F1. Among fine-spined cucumbers, the most commonly grown variety is Fatima F1, with Bohdana F1 and Milena F1 also being popular. A newcomer designated as Karolina F1 stands out significantly above fine-spined cucumbers in both yield and resistance to mildew.

Parthenocarpic Cucumber Varieties

Cucumbers, like many other plants, have two types of flowers - male and female. A prerequisite for successful fruit development is the transfer of pollen from the male flower to the female flower. In greenhouses and polytunnels, this can be a problem because pollinators such as bees and bumblebees have difficulty getting inside... The solution is the so-called parthenocarpic cucumber varieties, which can set fruit even without pollination. Most salad cucumbers and some pickling cucumbers are parthenocarpic hybrids because they are designed for cultivation in greenhouses and polytunnels, where pollinator access is very limited.

Forcing cucumbers is advantageous.

Growing Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers won't be a problem for a slightly experienced grower. The key is to select a suitable variety and plant it in the right location. Pickling cucumbers need a bright location sheltered from wind and sufficiently fertilized and warm soil for successful growth. It's good to prepare the site before planting cucumbers by working manure, or well-rotted compost, into the bed. A bed prepared in this way should be left for approximately 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings to settle and "mature". Plant young seedlings in beds prepared this way ideally after the last frost, so that ground frosts don't damage them. It's advisable to protect freshly planted seedlings from cold with a cover made of fleece or plastic film.

Sowing Cucumbers

Cucumbers can be sown directly into the bed or you can pre-grow seedlings. The main advantage of pre-grown seedlings is earlier harvest and the associated avoidance of cucumber downy mildew. Seeds can be sown for seedling pre-cultivation from mid-April onwards. Seeds are sown in nutrient-rich substrate placed in pots approximately 6-8 cm in diameter. Plants need sufficient light for growth and regular lowering of night temperatures to prevent plants from "stretching". The substrate should be only slightly moist; waterlogging doesn't suit seeds or young plants well, as it could easily lead to rot. Seeds are sown into beds only from mid-May onwards, when ground frosts that could completely destroy freshly germinated plants are no longer a threat.

Grafting Cucumbers

Grafting is performed either by cleft grafting, but tongue grafting is more commonly used as it's more reliable. After grafting, both plants retain their roots, so there's no danger of the grafted cucumbers drying out after the procedure.

Plants intended for planting should have purely white roots and a root ball that holds together; brown roots are dying and the acceleration effect is lost.

Cucumber downy mildew - the greatest enemy of cucumber growers.

How to Fight Mildew

The most common problem cucumber growers face is cucumber powdery mildew. This mildew attacks the plant leaves and the plants then slowly die off. There are several ways to fight cucumber mildew. One approach is using chemical preparations designed for cucumber mildew, the second option involves simple preventive measures, which allow you to harvest enough pickling cucumbers before mildew sets in. The first preventive measure is early sowing of cucumbers, so the fruits ripen before the main mildew season. It's worth choosing varieties that are more resistant to cucumber mildew, as many are available on the market today. The third preventive measure is growing cucumbers using the so-called "vertico" system or various sprays.

Vertico System

The vertico system is a method of growing pickling cucumbers that has proven particularly effective for small-scale growers. With this growing method, the cucumber plant is not left lying on the ground, but is guided into the mesh openings. This system is slightly more labor-intensive than conventional field cultivation, but the extra work soon pays off. The leaves of plants grown on netting dry faster after rain, so there is less risk of mildew attack. Additionally, fruits from plants grown on netting are cleaner and more convenient to harvest. For the vertico system, the easiest option is to use flower netting with 10 x 10 cm mesh openings.

When growing cucumbers using the so-called "vertico system", remember that cucumbers won't catch onto the netting by themselves, you must help them.