One of the few vegetables that thrive in hot weather, the cucumber comes in two varieties, vining and bush. Vining cucumbers normally produce more fruits than their bush counterparts, due to their methods of sprawling growth. Typical salad cucumbers are often a vine-grown variety, while pickling-type cucumbers tend to be of the bush-grown variety.

Are you going to plant cucumber in your garden? According to our research, we don’t recommend planting potato, tomato, sage, and most strong smelling herbs near cucumber in the garden.

Once soil temperatures reach above 70 degrees, cucumbers can be planted in the garden. Working compost or fertilizer into the garden bed prior to planting will help encourage downwards root growth as your cucumbers spread out upwards. If using a trellis, place each cucumber about a foot apart, but if planting a bush variety, try to leave 3-4 feet in between each seedling. In areas where temperatures are hot and rain is regular, your cucumber plants will require minimal care. If you need to water, try to give the plants about an inch of water per week, and apply it low as to not wet the foliage.

Harvesting your cucumbers comes with no set rules or sizes to wait for before picking. Be sure to check your vines regularly once fruits begin to show, as they will enlarge very quickly and often become an easy snack for a garden critter or bird. Be sure to use a knife or sheers to remove each cucumber as to not damage the vine during harvest. Cucumbers will remain fresh in a refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.