The Easy-To-Grow Vegetable That's Perfect For Beginners

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Growing your own vegetables is a common fantasy, but the reality can seem daunting and loaded with confusing questions. Aren't certain plants grown at different times of the year? Is your soil right for planting? How often should you water your veggie garden? If you are just dipping your toes into this whole gardening thing, it makes sense to start with basic, user-friendly crops that aren't too challenging to cultivate. 

Star among those "gardening 101" plants is a cucumber. Cukes are not only unchallenging and pretty forgiving of standard novice screw-ups, but they are delicious and versatile. And, before the pedants come for us: yes, we know that cucumbers are botanically considered to be fruit. However, like avocados, which are a type of fruit that's technically a berry, cucumbers are informally classified as vegetables for culinary use.

If you are just starting a vegetable garden, it makes sense that you don't want to devote too much real estate to the project. After all, a smaller garden is less daunting and easier to maintain. Luckily, cucumbers don't need a ton of room to grow. As bushy or vining plants (depending on variety), they grow best on a trellis where they can be allowed to grow upward instead of trailing on the ground, which can lead to rot and disease. You can even grow cucumbers in containers, and not have to lay a garden bed at all!

To grow cucumbers from a seed packet, you need very little in the way of pricey materials. Don't throw out your plastic takeout containers, as they are the perfect vessel for your garden seedlings. Plant your seeds in the containers, set them on a sunny windowsill, and give them a little bit of water. When they are nice, strong seedlings, you can transplant them gently in either a big container or a garden bed outdoors. The right time to plant cucumbers is when daily temperatures are around the mid-70s. You want to plant your seedlings between three and five feet apart, or 12 inches apart for trellises. They love lots of sun and well-drained soil. A layer of mulch will help to repel pests, and some plant food or fertilizer will nourish fat, happy cukes. Cucumbers need about an inch of water a week, but, other than that, they are pretty chill garden occupants.

A healthy cucumber plant can produce as many as 30 cukes over the course of a growing season, meaning that your biggest concern as a fledgling gardener may be what to do with all those veggies. We are obsessed with cucumbers in salads, as nothing screams "summer" like cucumbers and fresh tomatoes, but you may want to take your newfound homemaking genius to the next level and learn how to pickle and can cucumbers. It's a lot simpler than you think ... plus, you'll have crunchy pickles to enjoy all winter!