Cucumbers do very well in a Belgium summer, they seem to positively thrive in rainy conditions. Choosing the miniature varieties (see below) over the longer supermarket types suits the small city garden or balcony with limited space. Each plant can produce a dozen cucumbers over the growing season.
Cucumbers require good support to climb and spread. In the raised bed a plant is situated beside each of the 3 front aluminium post supports. The plants have heavy leaf cover and thick stems. They can be awkward to get started climbing but once established need little attention.
Cucumber plants grow well in containers (minimum 12 inch depth) on balconies or against walls. Some of the unusual varieties such as Crystal Lemon form long vines up to 3 metres and produce unusual shaped and flavoured fruit. Each plant can produce over one dozen fruit.
Cucumber plants produce flowers and fruit over several months. To keep the plants flowering and fruiting it helps to pick and remove ripe fruit. The fruit appear over a 10 day period and can be hidden by the leaf cover.
Grown with tomatoes, peppers and salad crops, cucumbers make up the summer salad requirement of a family household. With 3 or 4 plants a city garden can produce half a dozen fruit per week. With Belgium summer rain this can rise to a dozen fruit per week.
