Growing hydroponic cucumbers on a Tower Garden

by | Sep 30, 2018

Cucumbers are fruits by definition (like tomatoes, eggplants, zucchinis, etc.) since they develop from the flower of the cucumber plant and they do contain seeds….

Cucumber is the perfect crop for novice growers to start with as it is very easy to grow on a Tower Garden®.

Cucumber seedlings can be planted at the bottom of the tower to let the vine crawl on the ground. We advise against such a method as we prefer to grow our cucumbers vertically and off the ground. In fact, allowing your cucumber plants to crawl on the ground will increase the chances of diseases and pests (aphids, spider mites, cucumber beetles, powdery mildew, botrytis, bacterial wilt, etc.).

We advise to let cucumbers grow on an outside structure (grow cage/ trellis etc.) thus preventing the vines to overwhelm the rest of the tower. You can cut the vine when you deem that it has grown long enough…. it will allow the vine to branch out at the level of the nodes and increase the yield.

Although easy to grow, cucumbers are prone to various diseases requiring continuous attention & maintenance. In fact, we recommend pruning your plants picking off leaves showing signs of infection. Ongoing pruning is also recommended to improve air circulation thus reducing the risks of mildew/fungal related diseases

’Salt & Pepper’ White Cucumbers for pickling

Marketmore Cucumbers

All varieties of cucumbers grow well on a Tower Garden® but require growth + disease & pest control on an ongoing basis.

At Agrotonomy Tower Farms, from the US to Europe, and from the Middle East to Africa, we like to grow all kinds of cucumbers whether for salads, pickling, or juicing.

In fact, aside from being deliciously thirst-quenching, we invite you to Google the benefits of juicing cucumbers… it’s absolutely amazing!

Aside from classic cucumber varieties, we like to grow suyo long cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, cucamelons! We even like to grow kiwanos, also referred to as African-horned-melons.

Despite the fact that melons and cucumbers belong to the same family (cucurbitaceae), kiwanos are definitely cucumbers.

Suyo Cucumber: This Asian variety of cucumbers can grow up to 55 cm. (22 inches) long.

Jackson Supreme Cucumbers Perfect for pickling

Kiwanos on a Tower Garden

Kiwanos are also known as horned melon, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd and melano.

Kiwanos are originally from arid and dry regions of southern Africa including Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Nigeria.

Kiwano is monoecious plant which means that it produces individual male and female flowers on the same stem.

Male flowers develop prior to female flowers in order to prevent self-pollination.

Kiwano is annual plant, which means that it completes its life cycle in one year, and each kiwano plant can produce more than 100 fruit per season.

Cucamelons on a Tower Garden

Did you know that you can grow cucamelons on a Tower Garden®?

This uncommon fruit is also known as mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and pepquinos.

Cucuamelons are the size of a grape while looking like a mini-watermelon.

Their flavor is a mix between cucumbers and lime. This sour fruit grows on a thin vine which is surrounded by ivy-like foliage.

Mandurian Round Cucumber on a Tower Garden

Mandurian Round Cucumber grown on a Tower Garden®. This uncommon cucumber originates from Asia, bearing oval/round fruits that measure a few inches across, that ripen to a light green, with variegated dark spots.

They are best consumed when they are no larger than the size of a baseball. They will grow to be the size of a football if you let them, but at that point the skins are tough and they don’t have the delightful sweet taste of the smaller ones.

The maturity of the fruits takes approx. about 60 – 75 days. Their taste is sweeter than a conventional cucumber and they are unbelievably crunchy.