How often to water Cucumber Plants? – Watering cucumber plants
It was a big task for me to water cucumber plants. You know why? Watering was easy but I don’t know sometimes it gets overwatered and sometimes underwater due to which the cucumber plants were not growing and letting the fruits come. Have you ever also faced the same problem? Don’t worry, here you will get the solution.
With my experience, I got to know it’s important to make a schedule of watering cucumber plants so that they don’t suffer from overwatering nor underwatering. Just be calm and scroll down.
Here I’ve explained all the factors on which watering depends, how often to water, and more importantly below are some tips for watering cucumber. Further, if you have any issues just ask me in the comment section.
Quick takeaways:
- Gardeners love cucumbers, they love to plant them. The cucumbers are easy growing but what haunts the planters is the watering of the cucumbers.
- There is a lot of confusion regarding watering the cucumbers, as they grow well in hot summer times, but should not be overwatered and also not underwater. also, you can plant some companion plants with cucumber to grow them well
- Cucumbers need a good amount of air as well. Just not this, we will tell you everything vital regarding watering and the health of cucumbers in your garden.
How to know what is the right amount of water for cucumbers in a day? Let’s just sink into the guide.
Factors on which watering cucumber depends
Irregular watering or improper watering can lead to a false taste of fruit, which is a sad end of the story. Nobody wants this! The fruit should taste well. For this watering should be done well. For watering, many factors determine what amount of water should be given to the cucumber plants. Factors like
Type of Soil
Take a look at the type of soil in your garden, and after that make decisions for watering. If the soil is sandy, the water will be drained quickly and you will need to water frequently or a good amount of water so that the soil doesn’t dry out. If the soil is clayey, then water will retain and not get drained, moreover, the water will hardly circulate near the roots. For this, adding peat moss will enhance the drainage of water.
Type of Mulch
If you have mulched the soil, the watering will be done accordingly. For the mulch to have plastic content, the watering should be done minimum. But when you water in such a case, make sure the water reaches deep into the soil, you can also try drip irrigation in case of plastic mulch. In straw or wood shredded mulch, watering is again less needed, as the moisture is retained in between the mulch layer and the soil layer.
How much water does a cucumber need per day? – How often to water Cucumber Plants?
Putting it simply, the cucumber should get at least 2.5 cm(1 inch) of water in a day. Cucumbers need almost double the amount of water as compared to other plants. Being a watery fruit, water requirements are almost equal.
Watering the cucumbers can be a ‘task’ as it requires a lot of tact because of the shoots that are above the soil. The shoots are shot roots.
During summer they demand a lot of water. When the temperature is quite high like in the afternoon sun, the watering should be done during the morning as well as in the evening time. Avoid watering the plants when they are getting direct sunlight, which can cause a scorching effect on the leaves and plant parts.
The soil should be moist but never stay soggy which can lead to fungal infection. Adding mulch to the soil will help keep the soil moist and warm-keeping the weeds away.
In a week, cucumbers generally need about 1 to 2 inches of water. Don’t let the deeper surface of the soil completely dry out, otherwise, the roots will die.
Yes, we told you earlier that cucumbers need a lot of water, but never overwater the cucumbers! The cucumber can get infected if you provide the cucumber with the excess water that they need. Many problems appear when the cucumbers are overwatered like the roots becoming weak by prolonged dipping in water.
Problems of cucumbers
Powdery mildew, root rot, wilting, yellowing of leaves, fungal growth, and falling of leaves are the main issues seen if you go on watering the cucumbers without looking at the level.
Don’t water the cucumber when there is rainfall outside, they can get a good amount of water from it. But, if the rainfall is going on consecutive days, you can the potted cucumber plants to the shredded spot to avoid the plant getting drained in water.
For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, What grows well with Cucumber? – Cucumber Companion Planting Guide-What to grow and what to avoid?
Tips for watering cucumbers
- Drip irrigation is best suited for watering cucumbers. The leaves if stay wet for a long can get infected. The leaves of cucumbers should be kept dry, don’t do overhead watering.
- Looking at the weather, you should switch to various methods of watering
- If it’s too hot outside, then go for additional watering otherwise stick to watering cucumbers once during a daytime
- Watering the cucumber in the morning is highly beneficial as it soaks the water before it gets evaporated. Avoid watering cucumbers during the nighttime, this will damage the plant by low temperature and damp conditions.
- The leaves of cucumbers easily get infected by bacteria and fungus if they stay wet for a long time.
Underwatered cucumbers
When you do not adequately water the cucumber, the fruit yield decreases. What’s the fun of growing cucumber plants!? The cucumber plants are easy to grow and care just like Dragon’s Tongue for but consistent watering is essential. Less frequent watering is equally harmful to the cucumber plant as they can get droopy and dry out which can lead to the death of plants.
Watering cucumber in pots
Watering the cucumbers when they are in pots is a bit easier than in the garden. You need to provide the water close to the soil so that leaves don’t get much wet and put them in a spot with good sunlight. Before watering, the pots should be looked at properly whether the soil is dry or not. Deep layers of soil getting moist are equally important just as topsoil. The pot should have a proper drainage path.
Watering cucumber Seedlings
Cucumber seedlings require good pampering but in case of watering just notice the soil should stay moist and dont get dry at all. You can frequently sprinkle some water over the seedling to keep it moist and avoid its drooping and wilting.
Wrapping up the context:
Cucumbers are an awesome option to grow in your garden or pt. It feels great when you see healthy cucumber fruits growing. Though they are easy to grow watering is the game-changer. We hope you have understood every detail regarding watering the cucumbers properly. We are really happy to help you all!
FAQ‘s
What is the best way to water cucumbers?
Watering the cucumbers with a soaker hose lets the water stay close to the soil and get deep into the soil. The drip irrigation is also safe for watering the cucumbers, so that leaves dont get moist which can cause a viral infection. Let the soil stay moist, cucumbers love water but avoid overwatering.