Known scientifically as Cucumis sativus, cucumbers are related to watermelons, zucchini and pumpkins. Cucumbers grow on vines that sprawl along the ground. They usually grow to around 9 to 12 inches long and are cylindrical in shape. Hothouse grown cucumbers come in a seedless variety and can grow to 20 inches in length.
Cucumber Varieties
There are two types of cucumbers: slicing cucumbers, which are eaten fresh, and pickling cucumbers. Cucumbers are also known as gherkins when they are pickled.
Slicing Cucumbers
Long green slicing cucumbers come in several varieties:
- Burpless are so named because they are easier to digest. They mature in 62 days and are a hybrid of the Chinese cucumber which train well on a trellis.
- Marketmore 76 mature to a dark shiny green in 68 days.
- Straight 8 are the most popular for their dark green, plump and straighter shape.
Hybrid Cucumbers
Recent hybrids have been developed that cluster on the vine. They are:
- Bush Crop which take 55 days to harvest. They grow in clusters of 6-8 inch fruit on dwarf, bushy plants instead of trellis vines.
- Fanfare are a popular hybrid that will mature in 63 days and are known for their great taste. They are bred to be a high yield, extended harvest, disease resistant cucumber plant.
- Salad Bush is another award winning hybrid that is ready for picking in 57 days. It produces uniform 8 inch fruit on compact plants and is quite disease tolerant as well.
Pickling Cucumbers
Pickling cucumbers are smaller than slicing ones. Both the Bush and the Carolina varieties are ready to harvest in about 48 days. The Carolina has a white spine and is more blocky in shape.
Growing Cucumbers
Plant cucumber seeds about 1/2 inch deep in rows every 12 inches, or three per 36 inches in a hill system style. If you grow them indoors then transplant them, make sure the soil is warm. Cucumbers have shallow roots so they need to be irrigated regularly during their growth cycle. Compost or well rotted manure mixed in with the soil will be beneficial.
Once the plants begin to vine, side dress them with a nitrate fertilizer for a greater crop yield. If you live in a windy area, wire cages can be used to train the vines. Try not to harvest them when wet.
Cucumber Nutritional Content
One medium sized slicing cucumber
Calories 13
Vitamin C 5.5 mcg
Molybdenum 5.6 mcg
Vitamin A 223.60 UI
Folate 13.52 mcg
Magnesium 11.44 mg
Fiber 0.83 g
Cucumber Health Benefits
Because cucumbers, like watermelons, are 95% water, they keep the body hydrated and help regulate the body’s inner temperature. They also help the body flush out toxins.
Leave the skin on. The skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10% of the daily recommended allowance. If you do like your cucumbers peeled, the skin can be used to relieve sunburn and mild skin irritations, similar to aloe vera. There is some research indications that cucumbers can stimulate hair growth. Herbalists recommend cucumber juice to reduce puffiness around the eyes and to calm down acne.
Cucumbers can either relieve acid indigestion and heartburn or cause it, depending on the individual. They are a good source of dietary fiber.
Because it is rich in potassium and magnesium, it may help to lower blood pressure. Studies by DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) show eating cucumbers can help lower blood pressure by 5.5 points in some hypertension prone individuals when coupled with a diet of low starch and lean proteins.
Other studies have shown that cucumbers, when eaten regularly, help to regulate uric acid, so it is great for prevention of certain kidney or bladder stones.
Want to learn more about the health benefits of cucumbers?
Check out these helpful resources:
Cucumber Benefits from whfoods.org
Cucumber Growing Tips from the University of Illinois Extension
Cucumber Nutrition from the CDC
Three vertical ways to grow cucumbers and save space:
Burpee Gardens goes over the basics of growing your own cucumbers in the garden on Youtube.
I have found that removing the seeds from the cucumber prevents indigestion
I love cucumbers, and I’m so glad to know that they’re even healthier for me than I thought! I just rubbed a piece of the cucumber I was eating on an allergic hive that I had on my skin, and the reaction died down in the time that I read the rest of the article and typed this comment. Thank you so much for the super-informative article! 🙂
its a good fruit for healthy body. i am eating cucumber daily… i like it very much… :):):)
i love cucumber it’s so rich n makes me glow.can you beat that!!!
Does it has any reproductive benefit? If so, how does it work? Thanks.
I eat six to eight cucumbers daily, and it is just for pleasure.
I am so addicted to cucumbers, i have been eating them for 4 years this May.
I love eating cucumber a lot because it helps me a lot in digestion
I love eating cucumbers with the back, seeds and all. I love it just as it is. I am happy it has health benefits that are beneficial to me.
I love eating cucumbers a lot because it helps me in digestion.
Great content, trying to change up my diet and started to buy cucumbers so thx
Health benefits are many. Just eat cucumbers and enjoy. It is a very informative article on health.
It is my regular practice to eat cucumber during lunch. It helps digestion as well as protection of skin from aging.
Didn’t know it had all these health benefits. I need to eat more of it.
i love cucumber n it makes run to buy more like craaaazy.
thank you for this informative article. instead of drinking nasty coke a single cucumber can make magic when you are thirsty or hungry.just feel this inexpensive food from the nature
Although i know it is a very amazing fruit but now i know more about the fruit,i love it more
Is wonderful hearing about what cucumber does
I am trying to lose weight. they help curb hunger pains and the munchies.
I Found that drinking a glass of water before meals is a big help to prevent indigestion along with chewing the food properly . So have a glass of water before meals, chew your food slowly, enjoy all the flavors = happy tummy. Now , don’t that sound super? Try it. P-.S The seeds digest quicker than the cucumber its self. If that does not work for ya, try peeling the skin.
My friend gave me today cucumber from her garden. It’s so crunchy….I peeled one for she said there’s a bitter taste. Yes, there’s a bitter taste! I wonder what variety it was. No matter what, I just ate it thinking that it might be medicinal. Is your variety have a bitter taste, too?