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Cucumbers are a wonderful vegetable to grow in your garden. Here, we list 5 simple tips to help you grow great cucumbers in the home garden.

• Give your cucumbers a good quality soil. Although cucumbers can grow in a number of different soil conditions, it’s best to have well draining soil with a pH of about 6.5 -7.0. Adding compost to your soil is a great way to add organic nutrients to your soil while ensuring that your soil drains well and has the proper pH. We recommend a tumbling compost bin like the Tumbleweed Compost Bin to produce well mixed, high quality compost.
• Use natural and organic pesticides, if you must reduce overwhelming numbers of insects. There are a number of reasons why you should use organic and natural pesticides while growing cucumbers. First, why would you want to use potentially hazardous chemicals on something you’re going to eat? Secondly, cucumbers require special pollination in order to form fruits and many chemical pesticides will actually kill bees and other pollinating insects.
• Use organic mulch to retain moisture and keep weeds from growing. Place a layer four inches deep of organic mulch like wood chips or shredded bark in your vegetable garden. Organic mulch will help retain moisture, stop weeds from rooting, and will add organic nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.
• Give your cucumbers plenty of space. Grow your cucumbers in rows spaced about 6 feet apart. Plant the seeds about 2 feet apart in the rows. If you have limited space, try growing your cucumbers with a trellis. The vines will grow up rather than spread out.
• Harvest your cucumbers correctly. Make sure to harvest your cucumbers early before they get too big. The bigger they are, the less flavor they’ll have. Cut the stems about _ inch about the fruit, and make sure not to step on the vines as you harvest!

SOURCE: Kent Swanson is a freelance writer specializing in natural gardening and the environment.