Common Name: Cucumber

General Information

Cucumis sativus is an annual, climbing plant producing stems about 2 metres long that often sprawl along the ground but can support themselves by means of tendrils.
A very well-known salad plant, it is commonly cultivated for its edible fruit in both tropical and temperate regions of the world[, ].

Known Hazards

The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[].

Botanical References

Range

Possibly native of the E. Indies, but the original habitat is obscure

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual Climber
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Cucumbers can be cultivated in any area where there is a sufficiently long, warm growing season, from the temperate zone to the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 32°c, but can tolerate 6 - 38°c[]. It is not frost tolerant. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 400 - 4,300mm[].
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a warm very sunny position[]. Prefers a pH in the range of 6 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8.7[]. The plant has a high water requirement, but high humidity encourages diseases, particularly downy mildew[]. The crop may need protection from high winds[].
A fast-growing plant, able to produce its first fruits ready for harvest within 40 days from sowing the seed[]. Seeds can be harvested about 100 days after sowing[].
Yields of cucumbers vary; the world average is 15 tonnes/ha; in many parts of the tropics 5 - 7.5 kg/ha are considered reasonable; in greenhouse cultivation in Europe yields of 350 tonnes/ha are obtained[].
There are many named varieties[].
Many of the cultivars should have their male flowers removed in order to prevent fertilization, since the fertilized fruits have a bitter taste. However, a number of cultivars have been developed that only produce female flowers[].
A high light intensity increases the number of male flowers, while lower light levels result in more female flowers being formed[].
The roots of cucumber plants secrete a substance that inhibits the growth of most weeds[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The cucumber is a common ingredient of salads, being valued mainly for its crisp texture and juiciness[, , , ]. However, it is very watery, with little flavour and is not very nutritious[]. Many people find the fruit to be indigestible, this is due to the high cellulose content[]. The fruit varies widely in size and shape between the various cultivars. It can be nearly globular to oblong and elongated, depending on the cultivar, with the larger fruits being up to 1 metre long[].

Seed - raw[, ]. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[].

Young leaves and stems - raw or cooked as a potherb[].

Oil from seed[]. Said to resemble olive oil, it is used in salad dressings and French cooking[]. The oil contains 22.3% linoleic acid, 58.5% oleic acid, 6.8% palmitic acid and 3.7% stearic acid[].

Medicinal

The leaf juice is emetic, it is used to treat dyspepsia in children[].

The fruit is depurative, diuretic, emollient, purgative and resolvent[, , , ]. The fresh fruit is used internally in the treatment of blemished skin, heat rash etc, whilst it is used externally as a poultice for burns, sores etc and also as a cosmetic for softening the skin[, ].

The seed is cooling, diuretic, tonic and vermifuge[, ]. 25 - 50 grams of the thoroughly ground seeds (including the seed coat) is a standard dose as a vermifuge and usually needs to be followed by a purgative to expel the worms from the body[].

A decoction of the root is diuretic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Cucumbers make good companion plants for sweet corn, beans and sunflowers[], but they dislike growing with potatoes and aromatic herbs[].

Other Uses

Cucumber skins have been shown to repel cockroaches in laboratory experiments[].

The fruit is applied to the skin as a cleansing cosmetic to soften and whiten it[, , ]. The juice is used in many beauty products[, ].
Various extracts of the plant are used as emollients and skin conditioners in commercial cosmetic preparations[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.