How can the growth of cucumbers reach the desired rate of the gardeners? During the harvest time of approximately three weeks, a healthy cucumber plant should be expected to produce 10 large ones or 15 little cukes.
Rate 15 Cucumber Plant
This number can vary depending on who you ask.
Similar optimistic statistics are based on huge plantings that are maintained by professionals, but amateur gardeners can achieve these numbers or even improve them by employing cultural practices that maximize the cucumber plant's production.
Cucumbers on a trellis
- Y. Hanna, an American gardener, observed that growing cucumbers on a trellis led to a significant increase in the crop's overall yield more than three decades ago.
Hanna hypothesized that the cucumbers would benefit from an increased overall photosynthetic capacity and produce more energy from the light if the vines were trained upwards so that the leaves formed a leafy pile or fence.
Since then, research conducted in a variety of settings has demonstrated that cucumber plants that are trained and given enough care can produce two to three times as many cucumbers as plants that grow freely above the ground.
Trellis cucumbers are easier to harvest in part because you can see them more clearly and there is less risk of losing large, mature fruit when they are grown on a trellis than with other types of cucumbers.
In addition, when cucumbers are grown vertically, it is much simpler to protect against and manage problems caused by pests and diseases.
For instance, while I was delicately tapping the open blooms in my garden this morning, half a dozen cucumber beetles drowned in the soapy water.
This would not have been possible if the vines were flowing through the ground.
Cucumbers can be trained to grow on a support wire fence that is up to six feet (two meters) high to produce the maximum yields, but there are countless more options to provide support for your crop.
Keep in mind that vines contain winding wires, which means that they frequently require assistance in finding their route.
Also, steer clear of employing a fence or net that is out of reach of the hand is now grabbing the victim's throat!
Once the cucumber vine has grown to its full height, another stem will sprout from the plant.
At this point, the previously closed vine will split open, revealing a wall of leaves, blossoms, and fruit.
At this time, additional support from cuttings or ties is typically required in order to retain the vines and fruit-bearing fruit above ground.
Outdoor planting may be required at this point.
The development of the cucumber fruit Monoecious kinds are the open-pollinated heritage varieties mentioned above, such as "Boothby's Blonde," which produces both male and female flowers on the same plant.
These types are called open-pollinated heirloom varieties.
In most cases, the male flowers are the ones to bloom first, likely to capture the attention of pollinators.
