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Can you plant cucumbers in august


What To Plant in August

What to Plant in August

August is an ideal time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is perfect for a delicious fall vegetable and herb harvest.

Listed below are flower, vegetable and herb varieties that are great to start planting in August based on the Hardiness Zone that you live in.

Beans (Zones 3-8):
Early August is the last practical sowing date for both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up.
Learn More: How to Grow Beans
Suggested varieties: Golden Wax, Scarlet Runner, Slenderette, Vermont Cranberry Shell

Cover Crops (Zones 3-10):
A great way to add nutrients to your soil for the following year is by growing fall/winter cover crops this fall. Start in August so they get some good growth before winter comes.
Learn More: How to Grow Cover Crops
Suggest variety: Fall Mix

Cucumbers (Zones 3-9):
Starting vine or bush cucumbers in August will lead to a delicious fall harvest. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties.
Learn More: How to Grow Cucumbers
Suggest varieties: Carolina, Calypso, Marketer

Flower (Zones 3-8):
August is the perfect time to plant those flowers for a beautiful fall harvest. There are many varieties that can be planted this fall and start blooming early spring.
Suggested Varieties: Marigolds, Alyssum, Snapdragons

Kale (Zones 3-9):
Planting kale now in mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter.
Learn More: How to Grow Kale
Suggested varieties: Red Russian, Dwarf Siberian

Lettuce (Zones 3-8):
Sow lettuce in August for a fall crop. Try growing early harvest varieties that will produce a harvest before cold weather rolls in.
Learn More: How to Grow Lettuce
Suggested Varieties: All The Year Round, Mesclun Salad Mix, Spicy Salad Blend

Peas (Zones 3-7):
Green peas and sugar peas are good to plant in August in order to produce a moderate fall harvest.
Learn More: How to Grow Peas
Suggested varieties: Tom Thumb, Cascadia, Wando

Radishes (Zones 3-9): 
Radishes are one of the fastest growing vegetables around and are easy to grow. Plant now and you can have them ready in 30 days!
Learn More: How to Grow Radishes
Suggested varieties: Watermelon Radish, Comet, Black Spanish Round

Spinach (Zones 3-8):
Spinach is more of a cool weather vegetable and is great to sow in August for a tasty fall harvest.
Learn More: How to Grow Spinach
Suggested varieties: Red Kitten, Bloomsdale, Renegade

If you would like to see a detailed map and planting schedule for your state please select below:

Can You Plant Cucumbers in September? | Home Guides

By Cathy Habas Updated September 28, 2020

Because they thrive in warm weather and require specific soil temperatures for germination, the cucumber growing season is limited to summer in many climates. However, you can enjoy a late-season harvest by growing fall cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) in containers. This allows you to bring the plants inside to protect them from dips in temperature. You might also be able to extend the cucumber growing season by using a portable cold frame in your garden.

Tip

Cucumbers require 50 to 70 days with temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit to produce a successful crop, which means a September planting is risky at best in USDA zones 3 through 7.

The Ideal Cucumber Growing Season

Planting cucumbers in August or September will prove most successful in warmer climates, such as USDA zones 8 through 10. In fact, the seeds from this heat-loving vegetable won't germinate at all unless the soil temperatures are above 50 degrees, according to Cornell University. The recommended minimum soil temperature for planting cucumber seeds is 65 degrees, but seeds will germinate much quicker if the soil is even warmer.

In addition, you should only plant cucumbers outside in late summer or early fall if the average low temperatures will stay above 65 degrees for the next seven to 10 weeks. Highs in the range of 80 to 90 degrees produce the most vigorous cucumber growth. Use a reference tool like almanac.com or weather.com to analyze your area's average temperatures for September, October and November before planting cucumbers outside during the fall.

Planting Cucumbers in August or September

The weather is always unpredictable, so you never know if there will be an uncharacteristic cold spell early in the season. Therefore, it's wise to have some sort of backup plan to keep cucumbers warm when tempting fate and starting them in August or September.

For example, to increase soil temperature, place black plastic over the soil and sow seeds 1.5 inches deep through holes cut in the plastic every 2 inches. You might also want to build or buy a cold frame in advance to cover the entire cucumber plant on cool days but be sure to remove this cover whenever possible so that pollinators can access blooms.

In addition, seeds can be started indoors under a grow light to encourage them to sprout quickly, which could give you about a week's head start over slow-to-germinate seeds started in cooler soil outside. Harden off the seedlings before transplanting them to either a container or an outdoor plot when they are about three to four weeks old.

Growing Cucumbers in Containers

Growing cucumbers in containers gives you the convenient option to bring these sensitive plants indoors if cool weather strikes. Choose a 5- to 7-gallon container with drainage holes in the bottom and be sure to place it on casters to facilitate easy movement when it's time to bring it inside. Choose a bush or compact variety, such as those recommended by the University of Illinois Extension: 'Bush Crop,' 'Bush Pickle,' 'Fanfare' or 'Salad Bush.' These varieties will not require a cucumber trellis since their vines reach just 2 to 3 feet long.

Because cucumbers need plenty of sun, consider setting up a grow light to keep the plant healthy indoors. Container-grown plants also need more regular fertilization because nutrients drain out of the pot during watering. Start with a rich potting soil mixture during planting and add a nitrogen-rich fertilizer every three to four weeks. Cucumbers prefer consistently moist (but not soggy) soil, so you may need to water your container-bound plant every day.

Finally, keep in mind that cucumbers rely on bees for pollination, so if you have to bring your cucumbers inside when its flowers are blooming, you may need to pollinate them by hand in order to enjoy a crop.

References

Writer Bio

Cathy Habas has been a full-time freelance writer since 2014. She graduated from Indiana University Southeast with a Bachelor's degree in English. She enjoys writing content that helps homeowners feel motivated and confident in handling projects around the home. Her work has been published around the web, including on home improvement sites like Ron and Lisa.

How to plant cucumbers in August: advice from a gardener

08/04/2021 21:36 Roman Yanyshev

August is considered to be a period of active picking and conservation of cucumbers rather than planting. But many gardeners have recently begun to show interest in the nuances of seedlings of this crop in the last summer month.

In August, cucumbers can only be planted in a heated greenhouse, as fruiting will take place in the cold season, and cucumber is a heat-loving plant. For the successful cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse in late July - early August, it is also important to observe several conditions:

To obtain a crop when planting cucumbers in August, it is necessary to choose seeds of hybrid plants, since such cucumbers planted in a greenhouse will not require pollination by bees, they are distinguished by good hardening and are guaranteed to yield a crop when they are left. It is recommended to choose varieties that are completely self-pollinated, since the activity of bees will not be observed already in early autumn.

You can sow immediately with germinated seeds, but it is better to prepare seedlings in advance, writes the portal Yavteplice.ru. Sow dry seeds in pairs in nutrient soil, which can be poured into cups of humus peat. In the future, leave only 1 sprout, but the strongest. After 10-14 days, the seedlings should be placed more freely, and after 30 days they can be planted in the ground, in a garden bed or in tall boxes in a greenhouse. It is important to prepare the soil by fertilizing it with organic matter. It is recommended to plant seedlings with a frequency of 1.5-2 plants per 1 sq. soil meter.

Accurate and correct watering is essential for late cucumbers. They are very fond of water, but when grown in a warm greenhouse during the cold season, including from irrigation, a lot of condensate forms, which leads to fungal infection of ovaries and leaves. Therefore, it is recommended to water the plant:

Cucumbers should be fed until the first flower appears. Gardeners do not recommend feeding more than 5 times. Organics and mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil, while about 20% of fertilizers should be used at the time of the growth of the lash, 80% - during the appearance of cucumbers. As organic fertilizers, cow dung, chicken manure or ready-made mixtures can be used. During the period of lowering the temperature outside, it is better to strengthen the root system with foliar top dressing from ammonium nitrate.

As Profile.ru wrote, in order for the cucumber vine to bear fruit for a long time and be able to please with a large harvest, first of all, you need to follow some basic rules for caring for this crop. It is necessary to keep cucumbers in the shade, organize the correct watering regime and feed the plants well.

Is it possible and when in 2023 to plant cucumbers in August, how to plant for a second crop

Cucumbers love warmth and at temperatures below +16 degrees they stop growing and fruiting. Therefore, warm beds, greenhouses or grown in greenhouses are made for them. For a second harvest, cucumbers can be planted in August. However, you should take into account the climate of your region and some landing features. 9Ol000 recommended 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28 August 2023.

Unfortunately, the Moon starts growing in 2023 only in the second half of August. At the beginning of the month, it decreases, which is not very favorable for planting crops with fruits above the ground. But we will still write when the waning moon is under the zodiac constellations fertile for cucumbers. It's 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 August 2023.

What to plant

When choosing a variety of cucumbers for late planting, be sure to read its characteristics. Cucumbers must:

  1. Have time to grow and give a harvest in a short period of time. If you plant seedlings, then you can choose a late variety, and for sowing seeds - early ripening.
  2. Plants must be disease resistant, specifically powdery mildew.
  3. We recommend that you pay attention to what length of daylight hours the plants of the variety you like prefer. The fact is that in August and September the nights become longer, and daylight for cucumbers of some varieties may not be enough.

For example, many gardeners prefer to plant cucumbers of the Competitor variety in August. This is a mid-early variety with a ripening period of 46 to 55 days. It is resistant to many diseases and has a high yield.

Features of late planting and cultivation

In the southern regions, cucumbers can be planted in August on a bed in open ground, since in September it is still warm in these areas and the plants will not suffer from low temperatures. Even if night cooling is expected, you can cover the plantings with acrylic or film.

For sowing in August, it is recommended to make a warm bed. Instead of manure, you can use compost collected over the summer, mowed grass, etc. The soil is pre-watered with warm water. Since high temperatures can be during the last month of summer, you need to monitor the soil moisture in the cucumber bed.

Trellis is not recommended for cucumbers. Scourge is better to let on the ground. It will radiate warmth that cucumbers love.

In the regions of the middle zone of the country, and even more so in the Urals and Siberia, cucumbers should be planted in a greenhouse in August. Here, even at the end of summer, there can be frosts, from which even shelter with special material will not save the plants.

This is important! Even if it is warm or hot during the day, and the night temperature is below +16 degrees, cucumbers will stop their development. These plants are also very sensitive to temperature extremes.

Of course, you can try to plant cucumbers in August in open ground or in a greenhouse in any region. Suddenly, the summer and the beginning of autumn will be warm and the vegetables will have time to give a second harvest. However, at temperatures around +10 degrees, cucumber leaves begin to dry, and the plants themselves begin to get sick with powdery mildew.

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