Cucumbers' cool flavor and high water content quenches your thirst and fills your stomach.
The phrase “cool as a cucumber” does have some basis in fact. Cucumbers growing in the garden on a hot summer’s day can have an interior temperature as much as 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature.
Cucumbers originated in India and have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years in western Asia. It is thought that the English word for cucumber is from the Indian word kachumbar. The Latin botanical name is Cucumis sativus.
They were mentioned in the bible and also in the ancient tale of Gilgamesh, a story that pre-dates the bible by thousands of years.
The Romans went to great lengths to grow cucumbers under cover so they could eat them at all times of the year. They are reported to have used them to treat scorpion bites and bad eyesight. Roman wives who wished to conceive wore them tied to belts around their waists.
Cucumbers are not overly picky about the type of soil they grow in, as long as it drains well and has a pH slightly lower than the neutral 7. They need full sun and respond well to additions of compost to their growing bed.
Plant them directly in the garden about a week before your average last spring frost. Space hills in a grid about 3 to 4 feet apart and sow 3 to 4 seeds per hill. You can also grow them in a row and climbing up a trellis; space the hills about 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart.
When the seeds germinate in 7 to 10 days, thin to the strongest seedling in each hill. Mulch the soil after it has had time to completely warm up, in early to mid June, depending on your location.
Cucumbers are ready to harvest about 60 days after germination. Check the plants daily and pick the fruits when they are about 6 inches long. Do not let them mature or grow too large. These large fruits will be inedible and the vines may stop producing.
Be on the lookout for aphids, mites and cucumber beetles, 3 common pests of cucumbers. Treat aphids and mites with a strong spray from the garden hose followed by a red pepper spray. Handpick cucumber beetles and manually destroy them. These beetles will be more prevalent when the seedlings are just emerging from the soil.
Cucumbers can only be eaten raw fresh or pickled; there is no other known way to preserve them.
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