First cultivated in India, cucumbers have been around for over 3000 years. They are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes pumpkins, squash, melons and gourds. Among the earliest cultivated plants in the world, cucumbers are the fourth most widely cultivated fruit today (after tomatoes, cabbage, and onions). Cucumbers are classified as either slicing, pickling or English (aka burpless)
Cucumbers are a fruit consisting of 90% water. They are also a excellent source of vitamin k (21.3% per cup) and a good source of the anti-oxidant vitamin C (4.8% per cup) along with anti-inflammatory properties.
Cucumbers need substantial growing space, however, you can save space by growing vertical. This also helps keep the fruit clean. Cucumbers do not tolerate frost. They thrive in hot weather and need plenty of water. Diseases that may effect Cucurbits are Bacterial Wilt, Anthracnose, Angular Leaf Spot, powdery mildew, Mosaic, Alternaria Blight, and Late season Vine Callapse. Fallow a program of integrated pest management (IPM) to manage and reduce diseases.
China is the leading producer of cucumbers (60%) with the US being fifth.
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