Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

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Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

• Introduction
• Both cucumbers and melons are members of the same
  genus Cucumis
• Cucumbers and melons can not cross
• Originated in Asia or Africa
• First cultivated in India around 3000 years ago
• Originated in mountains of northern India
• Were cultivated by the ancient Greeks

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Characteristics of cucumber

• Warm season vegetable
• Do not tolerate frost
• Separate male and female flowers
• Monoecious
• Require bee pollination
• Will produce male flowers first
• Produce 10-20 times more flowers
• Release pollen and fall off

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Cucumbers Unique types

• Gynoecious cultivars
• Have all female flowers
• Why use a gynoecious cultivar?
• Energy not used to produce male flowers
• Can produce more fruit
• Usually a small amount of seed from a standard
  cultivar is mixed in as the pollinator

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Cucumbers Culture

• Vining habit, like other cucurbits
• Can be trellised
• Dwarf or bush cultivars recommended for gardeners
  with space constraints
• Can be grown in large pots
• Easy to provide warm soil
• Pots should be at least 12 in diameter
• Will need both male and female flowers

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Cucumbers Culture

• Field Planting
• Cucumbers are usually direct seeded in the garden
• Plant when soil is at least 60 to 65 F
• Watering
• Cucumbers have shallow root systems
• Require ample moisture at all stages of growth
• Critical phase is when fruit are on the plant
• Fertility
• Require a rich soil with high nitrogen levels

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Cucumber types

• Slicing
• Used fresh without addition preparation
• Used for salads, fresh on sandwiches, uncooked in
  soups

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Cucumber - types

• Pickling
• Used for making pickles and sometimes fresh
• Types of pickles depend on
• Preparation (i.e. dills)
• Size

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Slicing Cucumbers vs. Pickling
Slicing Cucumber Pickling Cucumber
Longer Blockier
Smoother Warty
Darker Skin Firmer Flesh
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Cucumbers Unique types

• West Indies Gerkin or bur cucumber
• Derived from an African species
• Extensively grown in West Indies and grown in
  Florida and Texas
• Almost spherical fruit used for pickles

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Cucumbers Unique types

• Burpless cucumber
• These are mild in flavor and thin-skinned
• Some people get stomach problems when they eat
  cucumber skin
• Probably dont stop burping and name comes from
  Burplee Seed Company

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Cucumbers Greenhouse production

• A popular greenhouse crop, common in supermarkets
• Generally the highest yielding cucumbers
• Differences from field grown cucumbers
• Longer and thinner
• Plants are grown upright
• Seedless
• Parthenocarpic Produce fruit without pollination
  
• Flavor is better?
• Is it worth the additional cost

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Cucumbers Harvesting

• Pick cucumbers every day
• Size to harvest depends on use

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Cucumbers Harvesting

• Pick before the seeds become hard
• Fruit that contains immature seed is preferred
• Do not allow cucumbers to turn yellow
• Yellow fruit are overly mature
• Often have a bitter taste

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Cucumbers Problems

• Cucumber beetle
• Must be controlled because they transmit
  bacterial wilt
• Control
• Synthetic insecticides
• Exclusion with row covers
• Poor fruit quality
• Incomplete pollination
• Drought during pollination and fruit development