'Kuper F1' Grafted Cucumber Plant

Grafted vegetable plants have higher disease resistance. The most common cucumber pests and diseases are whitefly, cucumber mosaic virus, aphids and powdery mildew. The best protection against disease is to space your plants out well and prevent too much humidity on the leaves by watering in the morning and at the base. Planting companion plants such as marigolds will attract predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies which will eat pests, and you can keep aphids down by spraying your plant with a mixture of water, vegetable oil and soap.

Feel the soil and if it is dry to the touch a fingernail deep, give the plant a watering. On hot, summer days, this means watering once a day. If the soil becomes too dry too regularly this will stunt the growth of cucumbers and cause them to taste bitter.

Cucumber plants need 6-8 hours of direct sun every day. If not positioned in a greenhouse or inside space, place in a position sheltered from chilling winds such as a south-facing wall.

Thrives in any well-drained soil. If your soil is particularly clay-heavy and/or often becomes waterlogged then you can improve the drainage by adding in plenty of organic matter such as garden compost as well as some perlite or gravel.

After the first flowers appear, start feeding the cucumber plant every week. Use a fertiliser high in potash, such as organic chicken manure pellets or liquid tomato feed.