Cucumbers are a very popular vegetable that can be used in salads, sandwiches, and many other dishes. But sometimes, cucumbers come out of the garden prickly. The causes for this are varied and include environmental factors like insects or disease and biological factors like breed type.
There are ways to manage some of these causes but not all of them; however, it is important to know what you’re up against so you can prevent future problems!
This article provides insight into what causes prickly cucumbers and what we can do to prevent them. Let’s get started!
What are Cucumbers and Why are My Cucumbers Prickly?
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are a warm-season vine that is in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. They are related to melons, squash, and pumpkins. The cucumber is a long, green fruit that is tapered at both ends.
Several factors can cause prickly cucumbers, but the most common one is environmental. This includes pests like insects or disease and biological factors like breed type. There are we describe a few causes below.
Pests That Cause Cucumbers to Be Prickly
Insects like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites can cause cucumbers to be prickly. These pests suck the sap from the plant and inject toxins into the fruit. This makes the cucumber vulnerable to disease and causes it to become prickly.
Diseases That Cause Cucumbers to Be Prickly
Several diseases can cause cucumbers to be prickly. These include bacterial wilt, anthracnose, and powdery mildew. Bacterial wilt is a bacterial disease that causes the cucumber to wilt and die. Anthracnose is a fungal disease that causes black spots on the cucumber. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that causes white powder to form on the surface of the plant.
Breed Type Can Cause Cucumbers to Have Prickly Projections
Someone naturally covered some breeds of cucumber in prickles or have long, sharp spines along its length called cotyledons. They usually breed these types of cucumber to reduce the protein content in their skin to make it more palatable for human consumption.
Picking a Cucumber from The Garden Leaves a Small Prickly Stub Behind
This can happen anytime during the growing season, even if you don’t see pests or diseases on the plant. The pickling cucumber grows from the center of the plant. The older part of the cucumber becomes bitter tasting while the younger section is tender and can be eaten. When you pick a cucumber, you only pick the childish part that is not prickly.
Pruning Cucumbers Reduces Prickly Growth
You can manage some causes of prickly cucumbers by pruning the cucumber plant. When you prune a cucumber, it forces all the energy to go into just one or two parts of the cucumber that are edible.
Management Practices for Cucumbers That Are Prickly
There are many cultural practices that can be done to manage some causes for prickly cucumbers. We have listed some of the most common practices below.
- Remove weeds from around the cucumber plant
- Water the cucumber plant regularly and deeply
- Fertilize the cucumber plant with a balanced fertilizer
- Apply mulch to the soil around the cucumber plant
- Pick off any insects or diseases on the plant
- Pruning the cucumber plant will force all of its energy into just one or two parts of the fruit.
- If pruned, pick every other cucumber while leaving the rest on the vine
- There are some varieties of cucumbers that are bred to not be prickly on the surface
Pickles are typically picked when they are young, but they can use the older parts of the cucumber for pickles. When an older part of the plant is picked, it reduces the energy that goes into producing cucumbers. If you are looking to use a particular type or breed of cucumber, make sure you check with your supplier to ensure they will produce well for your conditions and growing practices.
How to Prevent Them?
There are some things you can do to prevent cucumbers from becoming prickly. We have listed some of the most common practices below.
- Apply insecticides or miticides to the plant to control pests
- Spray the plant with a fungicide to control disease
- Plant cucumber varieties that are bred to be prickly-free
- Remove any weeds from around the cucumber plant
- Water the cucumber plant regularly and deeply
- Fertilize the cucumber plant with a balanced fertilizer
- Apply mulch to the soil around the cucumber plant
- Pick off any insects or disease on the plant
Cucumbers can be a delicious and refreshing addition to your diet, but only if they are not prickly. By following some of the management practices and cultural practices listed in this article, you can help reduce the chances of your cucumbers becoming prickly.
Tips from Expert Gardeners for Growing Cucumbers
There are some things experts gardeners do to prevent cucumbers from becoming prickly. We have listed some of the most common practices below.
Location can be Changed
Change the location of your cucumber plant each year. Something about the soil conditions may be causing it to become weak and produce prickly cucumbers. By changing the location, you can reduce or prevent this problem from happening again next year.
Mulch Around Your Cucumber Plant
Add a layer of mulch around your cucumber plant. Although cucumbers like to be moist, adding a layer of mulch will help keep the soil cool and reduce the amount of moisture lost to evaporation. This will help the cucumber plant stay healthy and produce less prickly cucumbers.
Fertilize Your Cucumber Plant Well
Apply a balanced fertilizer to your cucumber plant. A balanced fertilizer will provide your plant with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and produce less prickly cucumbers.
Ensure Your Cucumber Plant is Insect-Free
Remove any insects or disease from your cucumber plant. If you catch an insect or disease early, you can treat it before it becomes too severe and causes the plant to produce prickly cucumbers.
Recipes with Cucumbers
There are some recipes you can try from home. We have listed a few below.
- Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
- Cucumbers with Yogurt Sauce
- Greek Cucumber Salad
- Cucumbers with Cream
- Vegetable and Cucumber Soup
Final Words
If you want to avoid prickly cucumbers, consider following some of these expert gardening tips. They may help reduce the chances that your cucumber plant will produce prickly cucumbers next year and beyond.
If all this talk about prickles has made you hungry for a refreshing salad or soup recipe with fresh ingredients, we’ve got just what you need!
