Cucumbers

Latin name: Cucumis sativis

🌱 Days to Sprout: 10-14

😋 Plant food: after true leaves 

✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube

🍅 Days to Maturity: 65-75

💡 Light Zone: Maximum

📏 Plant Size: 2 ft

💚 Care Level: Advanced

Cucumbers have been cultivated for over 3,000 years and originate from India. They moved from ancient India to Europe and the New World by way of the Greeks and Romans. 

Cucumbers are crunchy vegetables low in calories and high in water and vitamins, particularly vitamins C and K. Most of their nutrients reside in their skin, so put down the peeler for max nutritional benefits!

Cucumbers taste wonderful raw, baked, sautéed, steamed, or boiled. Try sliced cucumbers in your water for a refreshing burst of flavor (and vitamins)!

💡Temperature: Prefer warmer temperatures (70-85°F).

🐝 Pollination: Gardyn's Cucumber variety does NOT require pollination and will only produce female flowers.

🫶 Support: We recommend using our Trellis and Plant Belts to direct the vine up your Gardyn’s columns and support the plant's fruit.

✂️ Pruning: Cucumbers require pruning. Prune back the first 5 lowest flowers, and prune additional flowers as needed to limit the plant to a maximum of 5 cucumbers. Too many cucumbers growing on one plant can cause the young fruits to turn yellow or brown and shrivel before they can mature. Trim back the main stem at the height desired. This allows lateral branches to grow, making the plant bushier while ensuring it stays within your Gardyn’s light. Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod. 

🔎 Plant Health: Thrips are a common pest, but you can use our prevention and treatment tricks to keep pests at bay! Cucumbers thrive in fresh water and drink a lot while growing, so it's best to keep your water level above 60% and top off weekly for healthiest growth.

🥒 Harvest: Harvest cucumbers when they reach 3-6 inches long, look dark green, and after the yellow flower falls off their tip. Cut the fruit at their individual stems. Letting cucumbers mature too long can cause them to taste bitter.

Beginning May 1, 2023, we upgraded our Cucumber variety for more flavor. If you're growing Cucumbers purchased before this date, you may still notice small spikes on the fruit, which you can easily rub off after harvesting. All other care for the two varieties is the same.

Recipe Source: A Southern Soul

• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes – sliced in half

• 1 cucumber – sliced

• 1/2 medium red onion – thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

1. Place tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a large bowl - set aside.

2. In a mixing cup or small bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Using a whisk, blend until well mixed.

3. Pour dressing over tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Toss salad. 

4. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge covered for up to 2 days.

Tip: If making the salad ahead of serving, use half of the dressing to toss the salad in advance, and reserve half to mix in when ready to serve.

Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies.