Get More Cucumber This Year!

70% of our members are growing cucumbers this year. We've created the ultimate guide to growing and enjoying cucumbers - whether you have an acre or an alcove. [Food Gardening Network Preview]( May 20, 2024  [Your Very Own Cool-as-a-Cucumber Growing Guide]( Welcome to the ultimate guide to growing and enjoying cucumbers - whether you have an acre or an alcove. Gain full access to this premium Gardening Guide—and an entire Library of food gardening advice—with a [Charter Gold Membership in Food Gardening Network!]( Dear Gardener, Of all the vegetables, the cucumber is the one that feels most like summer to me. I love tomatoes, too, of course. And the two go well together. Cucumbers, though, are mild and refreshing, much like a dip in the river on a hot summer day. They offer a delightful crunch when you bite into them, they’re incredibly versatile in the kitchen, and you can pickle them for even more culinary uses. Cucumbers are, in fact, the second most popular garden vegetable, behind only the tomato. They’re easy to grow and they’re incredibly good for you. That’s not the whole story, though. I have to share some dirt with you. Or more accurately, I have to share some information about dirt with you. Cucumbers produce more fruit when they grow in ideal conditions. They like a full eight hours of sunlight and warm soil – around 70 degrees. Cucumbers also prefer soil with lower levels of nitrogen. I know; this gets a little sciency, but it’s not that complicated. Bear with me for a minute. Too much nitrogen will give you lush, green cucumber plants, but you won’t get a ton of actual cucumbers. You can correct an imbalance with fertilizer, and the amount of nitrogen in your soil will help you determine what kind of fertilizer to use. You may need a fertilizer that’s balanced (like 8-8-8) or one that’s higher in phosphorus and potassium (like a 5-10-10). “Sure,” you’re thinking, “but how am I supposed to figure that stuff out?” Depending on where you live, you may have a few different options. Some Master Gardener programs and universities may test your soil for free or for a minimal charge. Alternatively, you can buy a DIY test kit for around $15. I don’t know about you, but that seems like a small price to pay in exchange for a daily harvest of crisp cukes. You can read more about Starting with the Right Soil for Your Cucumber Plants, The Right Sunlight for Your Cucumbers, and get answers to the big question, Should You Fertilize Your Cucumber Plants?, in The Cucumber Grower’s Guide. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( Oh! I should also mention there’s a section where you can find out about different types of cucumbers. The cucumber Plant Profile features six favorite varieties, both heirloom and hybrids. One of them, though, doesn’t look anything like a “normal” cucumber. It’s so cool (pun intended)! Classy Cukes I don’t usually associate cucumbers with James Bond movies. Classic beverages, on the other hand, instantly bring to mind that sly smile, that sharp attire, and debonair charm. So what do the two have in common? Cucumber Martinis, of course! Cucumbers are so light and refreshing, and go so well in a vodka martini, shaken - not stirred. This recipe will have you sitting poolside at least in your heart, if not in reality. Don’t worry. There are plenty of family-friendly recipes in the The Cucumber Grower’s Guide. And we promise not to tell the kids how healthy cucumbers are. (Although, if you want to know, you can check out the Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Cucumbers or the Nutrition Facts about Cucumbers. Or you can move right to some of the internationally-inspired cucumber recipes.) You can enjoy all of them just by accepting your Gold Membership in The Food Gardening Network. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( What you really want to know A few thriving cucumber plants in the garden is like winning the lottery - only without the taxes and long-lost family members asking you for cash. The Cucumber Grower’s Guide has all the information to help you win that cool cucumber million. How often should you water your cucumber plants? What’s that strange spot on the plant? Can I plant cukes in containers? How many varieties do I want to grow? What about pests? The answer to every single question is all here. You’ll learn how to identify and treat cucumber rot. You’ll find out what to do when disease threatens your plants. You’ll read the cucumber Plant Profiles and discover the flavor profiles, plant characteristics, and best culinary uses for some of the most popular cucumber varieties. You’ll learn about the different types of cucumber plants, and you’ll find out what “parthenocarpic” means so you can talk the cucumber talk and dominate your next game of Scrabble. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( But this is just a fraction of what you get with your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( You see Gold Membership is packed with benefits you can’t get anywhere else! As Editor & Publisher of Food Gardening Network, I’m happy to have you as a free Bronze Member, but that only gives you a small taste of what Food Gardening Network is all about. When you upgrade now to [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( you unlock the key to an entire library of material, absolutely everything we publish about growing good food at home—all access and all the time for you, including: - [All-Access Membership in Food Gardening Network Gold Club]( only online resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. - Subscription to Food Gardening Magazine—you get monthly issues filled with articles about how to start, maintain, and harvest food from your own garden at home. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Subscription to RecipeLion Magazine—you get quarterly issues filled with hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes at your fingertips, plus tips and tricks for developing new cooking skills. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Gardening Guides—you get instant access to more than 60 comprehensive guidebooks that are plant-specific—from tomatoes, basil, and garlic to potatoes, pumpkins, beans, corn, squash, and more!—about how to grow, harvest, and enjoy the bounty of your home garden. Learn everything about specific foods you can grow, get recipes to enjoy with friends and family, and enjoy tips on health benefits and home remedies that use your harvest! - Cookbooks—you get full and instant access to 9 digital cookbooks, filled with more than 1,300 recipes! You’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor with these easy-to-make recipes! From single dishes to a whole meal—we’ve got you covered! - Videos & Video Library—you get instant access to more than 90 videos in our library with gardening tips, tricks, and tactics; do-it-yourself projects for gardening and crafting items; and cooking videos to show you exactly how to make specific dishes. Plus, access to new monthly videos over the coming year! - NEW! Planning Calendars —every season of the year, you get printable planning calendars to help keep your garden on track. Calendars include tasks, checklists, notes, and recipes that use fresh seasonal ingredients from your garden. - NEW SERVICE! Recipe of the Week—every Sunday, you get a recipe with quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook food—delivered weekly to your email inbox. - Gold Member Insider—you get this exclusive email service, delivered regularly to your inbox, to guide you through the Food Gardening Network Library. Saves you time finding articles, magazine issues, gardening guides, videos, kits, and recipes that you won't want to miss! And all of this is available to you —right now—when you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership.]( I want to see your name on my daily list of new Gold Members—you deserve to join like-minded gardeners and get full access to our entire library of material for optimizing your food garden. Please become a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Member]( today—while this special offer lasts! Sincerely, [Christy Page Signature] Christy Page Editor & Publisher Food Gardening Network P.S. Your success with food gardening depends on you acting now—please claim your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( today and get the only all-in-one-place resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from Food Gardening Network. If you no longer wish to receive this update as part of your free subscription, please click the unsubscribe link below. [MANAGE PREFERENCES]( [Unsubscribe]( Help us be sure your email update isn't filtered as spam. Adding our return address [Support@foodgardening.mequoda.com](mailto:support@foodgardening.mequoda.com) to your address book may 'whitelist' us with your filter, helping future email updates get to your inbox. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( [Send us a message]( Did a friend send this to you? 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