Cucumber Byblos - Cucumis sativus

Cucumber sowing:

Cucumber germination occurs at a temperature between 16°C and 35°C. Germination generally takes 8 to 10 days at these temperatures. Sowing is done under cover in March/April (indoors, in a greenhouse, or on a hotbed) and in open ground from mid-May to June, when the soil is sufficiently warmed up and the risk of frost has passed. To spread out the harvest, you can stagger your sowings, every 15 days for example.

Sowing under cover: Fill pots (or trays with drainage holes) with special sowing compost and plant 2 or 3 seeds per pot. Water with a very fine spray. When the two true leaves appear, thin out to keep only one plant per pot. Depending on the sowing date, you can either transplant them into the open ground if the soil is warm enough, or keep one plant in each pot until temperatures are higher. Make sure the substrate remains moist but not waterlogged and keep it at a mild temperature. When transplanting into the open ground, allow for a spacing of 1m (3ft) all around if the crop is grown flat or 1m (3ft) between rows and 50cm (20in) along the row if the crop is trained.

Sowing in open ground: Stretch a cord and make furrows, spacing the rows 1m (3ft) apart. Sow in small holes (2 to 3 seeds in each hole). On the row, the holes will be spaced 1m (3ft) apart if the crop is grown flat or 50cm (20in) apart if the crop is trained. Cover with fine soil and lightly firm with the back of a rake. Water with a fine spray to keep the soil moist. When the plants have 2 to 3 leaves, thin out to keep only one plant.

Cucumber cultivation:

Cucumber is a fairly demanding vegetable that requires rich soil. It is advisable to add mature compost (around 3kg per m²) in autumn, by scratching it into the soil to a depth of 5cm (2in), after having loosened the soil, as is necessary for any vegetable crop. It thrives in neutral soil (pH 7) but will also do well in slightly acidic or alkaline soil (pH between 5.5 and 7.5).

Cucumber can be grown flat, but to save space and promote production, don't hesitate to exploit its climbing nature by training it: on a frame covered with wire mesh, inclined at 45%, it will provide beneficial shade for lettuces, or even in a teepee to add some whimsy to the vegetable garden.
When the plants are trained vertically, the crop is grown on a single stem that is pinched out at a maximum height of 2.5m (8ft). When grown flat, pinch out above the second leaf to obtain two stems, which will be pinched out above the 4^th leaf. The final pruning involves cutting back to one leaf above each formed fruit.

Plan for 2 or 3 hoeings and mulch at the beginning of summer to maintain soil moisture.