Allow three feet between hills and four feet between rows. If vining varieties are used, trellises must be installed at sowing time. Thin plants to two or three per hill or to 12 inches apart in rows. Unfortunately, abundant rain is not the solution, since a lot of rain generally means reduced sunshine and cooler temperatures, which cucumbers dislike. Without adequate water during the growing season, regular slicing cucumbers may become bitter.
Cucumbers are heavy feeders.
Sink collars an inch into the soil and leave one to two inches showing. Use bait or traps to get rid of snails. Mature cucumber plants may be attacked by striped or spotted cucumber beetles. If cucumbers are left on the vine to mature and set seeds, the plant's energy goes into seed production and the flowers necessary to produce more fruit will diminish. If fruits are harvested constantly so that they do not mature and set seeds, the cucumber plant will continue to flower, thus producing more fruit.