The plants then need a vine support to keep them suspended in the air, and this support should be quite strong. Pinch out the top of the cucumber plant when they reach the top of the growing area. Cucumbers can grow to full size in a day or two. It is important to pick them while they are green and not wait until they turn yellow and old. Pinch out the tips of lateral branches two leaves beyond where the fruit has formed.
Most varieties have male and female flowers and have to be pollinated by hand.
This is accomplished by using a paintbrush from the middle of each flower. The female flowers have a bump behind the flower. The male flowers should be removed after pollination. The male flowers are edible. Trace mineral supplements should be added to the water of the plants as they ripen.