Use of black plastic mulch warms the soil in the early season and can give significantly earlier yields, especially if combined with floating row covers. Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the plants begin to vine. Cucumber beetles should be controlled from the time that the young seedlings emerge from the soil. In small gardens, the vines may be trained on a trellis or fence. When the long, burpless varieties are supported, the cucumbers hang free and develop straight fruits.
Winds whipping the plants can make vertical training impractical.
Wire cages also can be used for supporting the plants. Do not handle, harvest or work with the plants when they are wet. Pick cucumbers at any stage of development before the seeds become hard. Cucumbers usually are eaten when immature. The best size depends upon the use and variety.