Hydroponic Cucumbers 101 - Your Complete Growing Guide
Learning how to cultivate hydroponic cucumbers will help you retain a continuous supply of one of your favorite vegetables. However, cucumber cultivation in the soil is not always straightforward. The issues are simply too numerous for many growers, which explains the need to start growing your cucumbers hydroponically.
You can increase your cucumbers hydroponically and enjoy a high yield without putting on a lot of hustles. Growing hydroponic cucumbers might be different from those grown in the soil, but the process is reasonably simple that you can handle even as a beginner. If you have the necessary information and supplies, you’ll find that you won’t want to grow your cucumbers in any other way apart from hydroponically.
Growing cucumbers hydroponically is a great way to maximize your growing environment. If you want to produce healthy cucumbers in the easiest way possible, the hydroponic system is the way to go.
Are Hydroponic Cucumbers Healthy?
Hydroponically grown cucumbers are very healthy. Hydroponic cucumbers are grown free of soil and therefore free from diseases and chemicals that may be unhealthy. As long as you use the correct nutrient solution, you are assured of harvesting very healthy cucumbers.
As your hydroponic cucumbers grow, they make their nutrients. Hydroponically grown cucumbers are also healthy since they contain fewer calories. They will offer you all the beneficial vitamins and minerals required in your body.
Hydroponic cucumbers also contain water, making them the best vegetables to grow in your hydroponic system. So if you always want to stay hydrated, hydroponic cucumbers are the best choice.
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Cucumber Hydroponically?
When grown in the proper environment, your hydroponic cucumbers will not take more than 70 days to mature and be ready to harvest. When growing your cucumbers hydroponically, check all the required conditions to get a high yield. Some cucumber varieties can mature within 50 days from the day you plant them.
Best Hydroponic System for Cucumbers?
Hydroponic systems are available in various designs, sizes, and types. Each has its own set of benefits and is effective for specific plants. Choosing the best hydroponic system might be challenging, but here are some of the best hydroponic systems that do the best in growing cucumbers:
Drip System
The drip hydroponic system is your best choice if you want to grow your hydroponic cucumbers for commercial purposes. The drip hydroponic system requires more space, making it more suitable for commercial purposes. Each cucumber plant is suspended with its roots firmly in a net pot submerged in shallow water in the drip system.
Ebb and Flow
The ebb and flow system entails flooding your cucumber plant with nutrients from time to time based on the preset schedule. The good thing about this system is that it is easy to set up and handle the feeding pump; you require a timed pump.
Dutch Bucket System
If you have a small space, the dutch bucket is the best system to grow cucumbers hydroponically. This system will help conserve water. In the dutch system, you grow cucumbers in buckets full of perlite, vermiculite, and your plant will be well-harvested.
Which Are the Best Cucumber Varieties to Grow Hydroponically?
Naturally, not every cucumber variety can be grown hydroponically. The majority of the natural cucumber species tend to turn bitter if you leave them for a long time on the vine. If you want to get a good harvest of your hydroponic cucumbers, you can choose any of the following cucumber varieties:
Bush Champion
This variety produces large fruits, and it is compact.
Space master
This species can offer you a high yield and is tolerant of high temperatures, warm temperatures, and high humidity levels.
Beit Alpha
This variety of cucumbers produces sweet fruits with thin skin.
Lemon Cucumber
You can grow it using the Dutch bucket system to get a high yield from the lemon species cucumber.
Hydroponic Cucumber Fertilizer Formula
Like most other vegetables, hydroponic cucumbers also require the three primary nutrients to grow successfully and produce high yields. Therefore, ensure you provide the hydroponic cucumbers with phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium.
You can make your hydroponic cucumber fertilizers formula at home. Add 3 pounds of 8-16-36 hydroponic fertilizer, 3 pounds of soluble calcium nitrate, and 2 pounds of magnesium sulfate to make your hydroponic cucumber fertilizer. Mix the solutions effectively and apply them to your hydroponic cucumbers. If your hydroponic cucumber misses its essential nutrients, it may appear yellow, have stunted growth, and yield less.
Can you Grow Hydroponic Cucumbers Indoors?
It is straightforward to grow your hydroponic cucumbers indoors. First, ensure your indoor cucumbers have adequate light and maintain temperatures between 70 to 85 ft. If your hydroponic cucumbers require pollination, you must do it manually.
Hydroponic Cucumber Pollination
Not all the hydroponic cucumbers will require to go through pollination. However, you can manually pollinate them yourself if they need to get pollinated. You need a small paintbrush to collect the male flower by gently rubbing it inside the swollen part of the female flower.
Final Thoughts
Cucumbers can be grown hydroponically and produce more than those grown on soil. Pick an excellent compact bush cucumber type and utilize an appropriate hydroponic system, like the drip, dutch bucket, or ebb-and-flow system.
