Can I Plant Cucumbers in Manure?

Cucumbers are a warm-season crop that needs a growing season filled with plenty of hot, sunny days to guarantee quality fruit and a bountiful harvest. Get your cucumber plants off to a good start by choosing the right location, preparing the soil, and instituting proper care practices from the onset.

  1. Site Selection

    • Choose an area of your garden that allows for full sunlight and that's at least partially protected from wind. Since cucumber plants have a tendency to spread, attach them to trellises to encourage upright growth. Even if you plan to trellis plants, allow 4 to 5 feet between each plant for air to circulate around foliage and stems to prevent rot. Don't plant cucumbers outdoors until the threat of frost has passed to avoid injury. Cucumbers need warm soil with temperatures of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit to grow and develop.

    Soil

    • Cucumbers grow best in loose, well-drained soil that has a pH level of 6.0 and 7.0 -- a measure of how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Gardeners can raise or lower soil pH levels with soil amendments, including manure. According to University of Minnesota Extension, regular manure applications can lower soil pH, making it more acidic. However, you should plan to fortify soil even when it's within this acceptable pH range to enhance cucumber plant growth. Add about a 2- to 3-inch layer of manure to the soil in your garden about a week before you sow seeds or transplant young plants.

      Manure is an animal byproduct that contains nutrients, like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that aid plant growth and increase yields. Use composted or well-rotted chicken, horse, steer or cow manure, to enrich garden soil. Manure contains nitrogen in a form that can be immediately taken up by plants, improves soil structure and increases microbial activity. Fresh manure, while it contains more nitrogen than composted manure, can burn plant root systems if directly applied without being well-decomposed. Although chicken manure contains greater levels of nutrients than other manure types, all livestock manure is beneficial to plants.

    Growing Conditions

    • Cucumber plants, on average, take between 50 and 70 days to bear fruit. During this period, plants require plenty of sun and temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Provide plants with plenty of water, especially on warm and windy days that tend to dry-out plants quicker. Once fruit set occurs, increase irrigation to support and quicken cucumber development. Cucumber plants can't tolerate frost and require protection, such as mulch or plastic covering, to protect them from the cold.

    Harvest

    • The general rule for harvesting cucumbers is to pick them when they're entirely green, firm and crisp and of mature size, which can range from 2 to 10 inches or more, depending on the variety you plant. Daily picking is often required during the harvest period. Don't let cucumbers yellow on the vine. A yellow cucumber has a bitter taste and is usually soft. Use a pocket knife or gardening clippers to cut cucumbers from the vines, leaving a stem of at least 1/4 inch.