Latest / The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners / Episode 9 : Cucumbers : Crunchy, Cool, and Completely Worth It

Transcript

Episode 9 : Cucumbers : Crunchy, Cool, and Completely Worth It · The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

• 0:28
  Hey there, and welcome back to the Beanstalk.
• 0:32
  I'm really glad you're here. Today we're talking about one of
• 0:35
  the crispest, coolest crops in the garden, cucumbers.
• 0:41
  Whether you're growing those tiny snackers for fresh eating
• 0:44
  or big, bumpy varieties for pickling, cucumbers are an
• 0:48
  awesome addition to your summer garden.
• 0:50
  And they're surprisingly easy once you get the hang of them.
• 0:56
  Let's talk types. For all intents and purposes,
• 1:01
  there are two main types of cucumbers that you can grow.
• 1:06
  First, we have pickling cucumbers.
• 1:09
  These are short, stubby, and have thinner skin that takes to
• 1:13
  brine beautifully. Some varieties to consider are
• 1:17
  Boston Pickling or National Pickling varieties.
• 1:21
  Obviously, these are the superior type of pickling,
• 1:24
  however, because of their thinner skin, they make a great
• 1:28
  garden snack during harvest time as well.
• 1:32
  And then there's snacking or slicing cucumbers.
• 1:36
  They are longer, smoother skin varieties than their pickling
• 1:40
  counterparts. A few different kinds are
• 1:43
  market, Moore, lemon, burpless or diva.
• 1:48
  This kind of cucumber is great raw or in salads.
• 1:52
  You can also pickle them too if you like.
• 1:57
  Now let's go over when and how to plant.
• 2:02
  Cucumbers are true warm season lovers.
• 2:06
  It's best to direct sow or transplant them after the soil
• 2:10
  is 70°F or warmer. You'll want to plant them in
• 2:15
  full sun, a minimum of 6 to 8 hours daily, but more is always
• 2:22
  better with these plants. Here where I live in zone 6B,
• 2:27
  that usually means late May through early June is the sweet
• 2:31
  spot. With cucumbers, it's important
• 2:35
  to discuss spacing and trellising.
• 2:40
  Bush varieties can grow 12 to 18 inches apart.
• 2:45
  The fruits can be very heavy, so it is best to still support the
• 2:49
  plant in some way. A basic bamboo steak or standard
• 2:54
  tomato cage can be helpful here. Vining types should be given
• 3:01
  plenty of room or need to be trained up a sturdy trellis.
• 3:06
  Personally, I consider this the best way as it saves space and
• 3:10
  keeps your fruits clean. Trellising also really helps
• 3:15
  with airflow, which is important for keeping fungal diseases like
• 3:20
  powdery mildew at Bay. Let's have a look at soil and
• 3:26
  watering for your plants. Cucumbers are very thirsty, but
• 3:32
  like most plants, they really don't like wet feet.
• 3:38
  Using a well draining soil rich in compost is ideal.
• 3:44
  Watering your plants consistently and deeply, at
• 3:47
  least one to two inches per week can really help you to avoid
• 3:52
  bitter fruits. Mulching around your plants can
• 3:56
  help to lock in moisture and prevent weeds.
• 4:02
  And with all plants, you have to watch out for pests and diseases
• 4:06
  most of all starting up. We have cucumber beetles.
• 4:12
  We've covered this menace before, but just to recap, they
• 4:16
  are a roughly 1/4 of an inch long bug with a yellow tinted
• 4:20
  body that either has black spots or long black lines on it.
• 4:26
  They can be brutal on your plants.
• 4:28
  Floating row covers early on can help, but if all else fails, you
• 4:33
  can pick them and their eggs off your plants and crush them to
• 4:37
  lower their numbers rather effectively.
• 4:42
  And as always with large leafed plants, powdery mildew loves to
• 4:48
  pop in to say hello if it can. Infections usually show up later
• 4:54
  in the season. I always like to point out the
• 4:59
  proper spacing and avoiding overhead watering is the best
• 5:03
  way to prevent it. If you do have to deal with it,
• 5:08
  just remove any affected areas and throw them in the trash.
• 5:15
  Now let's cover what you want to look for.
• 5:17
  With most varieties, when it's time to harvest, you generally
• 5:23
  want to harvest pickling types when they're around 3 to 5
• 5:27
  inches long or so. With slicers, you want them to
• 5:32
  get larger, roughly about 6 to 8 inches.
• 5:37
  It's a good idea to check on your plants daily.
• 5:41
  Cukes grow very fast and can go from near perfect size to
• 5:45
  baseball bat size overnight. And now for my favorite bit,
• 5:53
  it's recipe Time Garden Cucumber Salad with Dill and Feta.
• 6:02
  This is what I like to think of as a summertime recipe.
• 6:06
  It's cool, crunchy, and refreshing.
• 6:11
  Let's get into the ingredients. First, we'll want two to three
• 6:19
  cucumbers. Any type will do, but what
• 6:22
  you're going for is around 2 lbs or so, thinly sliced or cubed.
• 6:32
  Then we need 1/4 of a cup of crumbled feta cheese.
• 6:39
  Next, let's use one tablespoon of fresh dill or one teaspoon
• 6:45
  dried if you prefer. And then we have one tablespoon
• 6:53
  of red wine vinegar. After that we need one
• 6:59
  tablespoon of our preferred high quality oil.
• 7:03
  With me it's always extra virgin olive oil.
• 7:09
  And lastly we will salt and pepper to taste.
• 7:15
  And now for some nice and simple preparation directions.
• 7:21
  Take all of your ingredients and toss them together in a bowl,
• 7:26
  making sure it all gets mixed together very well.
• 7:31
  Then cover and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• 7:36
  It's a perfect side dish for serving along some burgers and
• 7:40
  dogs at a summer BBQ or enjoying as a light and healthy garden
• 7:45
  lunch. Cucumbers are a garden classic.
• 7:52
  With just a little care and good soil, they'll reward you all
• 7:57
  summer long. Plus, there's something
• 8:01
  satisfying about slicing up a cucumber you grew yourself or
• 8:06
  even crunching into one fresh off the vine.
• 8:12
  Thanks again for hanging out with me today on the Beanstalk.
• 8:17
  So you know we've got a growing community over at the Beanstalk
• 8:22
  Garden Club on Facebook. Come join us, share your garden
• 8:27
  growing pigs, and let's nerd out over plants of all kinds
• 8:31
  together. If you're enjoying the podcast,
• 8:35
  give us a follow on Spotify so you don't miss a single episode.
• 8:40
  We would also love to hear any feedback or questions you may
• 8:44
  have as well. From our patch to yours, keep on
• 8:52
  climbing.