A Blog post by
Viorica Marincus
Did you know that cucumbers, squashes, and melons belong to the melon and gourds family? They are annuals and prefer growing in warm climates. They also grow in vines that follow the ground and are sensitive to frost. Cucumbers, cousins to melons and squash, prefer growing in the summer. Some of the other species in the gourds family grow in the autumn.
I have found growing cucumbers to be fairly easy to grow. I plant the cucumber starts toward the end of May and have a bounty harvest all summer long. When the cucumbers are of small to medium size, I pick them, not letting them get too big. As they get bigger, they turn yellow and also have more seeds. These seeds, of course, can be picked, dried, and used to sprout other cucumber plants for the following spring or year-round planting seasons in warm climates.
My favorite way to use the cucumbers is in a simple cucumber tomato salad. The delicate flavor of a cucumber makes it a good addition to any recipe. The cucumber tomato salad is a quick recipe to make that works well as a cool summer side dish to a meal. (The recipe can be made with or without tomatoes, if you do not have any on hand.)
Some pick the cucumbers when they are small and can them for winter. This is a nice way to preserve the bounty that several patches will bring you. In most recent years, I have mainly used mine for eating.
Did you know that in spite of their size, species such as squash and pumpkins, and their relatives, are classified as a type of a berry called bepo? The skin from a pumpkin or squash keeps it from drying out. Also, the squash blossoms are considered a delicacy. They are picked in full bloom, fried and served promptly, often in quesadillas.
If you have grown pumpkins or zucchinis before, growing cucumbers is just as easy and enjoyable.