Too late to start cucumber seeds?

[jadeco]

Hello, I live in Zone 8. It has been rainy and cold as usual (highs of late 40s,) and the last frost was probably in late January/early February. I know I was supposed to plant these cucumber seeds then, but can I still do it now? I was planning to do the damp paper towels inside a ziplock bag method.

[rainbowgardener]

Not too late. Cucumbers are fast growing and like the soil warmed up, so you are fine.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I agree with Rainbow, It's to early. May in zone 8 washington.

Eric

[jal_ut]

You should be fine. You can direct seed them.

[feldon30]

Hopefully Jadeco has had a few crops of cucumbers since this thread was originally posted.

[Lab_Man]

Good catch feldon, I just planted my cukes yesterday.

[PerfecTommy07]

I started seeds indoors under lights in March. I finally put them out in pots on my balcony about 3 weeks ago once it finally started getting warmer. Sure enough the temp droped into the 30's a few days later. It actually snowed here in Chicago in May. Killed every cuke I had planted but one, which was very damaged.

Seeded directly into the pots after that and now they are taking off, as are my runner beans.

[feldon30]

I strongly encourage budding gardeners to use reputable weather prediction sites like NOAA and Weather Underground.

Local TV newscasters seem to have no interest in accuracy, particularly when predicting the coldest overnight temperature (which usually happens just before dawn). After seeing so many people burned (and being burned a couple times myself), I view with skepticism any forecast not from the 2 websites above.

[digitS']

Cucumbers can be a succession summer crop. All of the NorthWest has such cool and lingering springs that cucumbers and such can die shivering, they don't have to freeze. Stunted, they may struggle on and provide a single fruit on short vine.

My son lives in Portland, a warmer location than some. The city had 4 days with an afternoon high of 80° or above, so far this year. I imagine that those cucumber transplants are only just now beginning to grow.

Still, with good weather, cucumbers only require about 60 days to begin production. Seed will germinate during warm weather. I set out cucumber transplants about the first of July last year and they were producing in September, weeks before the first frost.

Steve