Cucumber

Cucumbers want three things without interruption: warmth, water and something to climb. Take any one of them away for a few days and the plant sulks, the fruit turns bitter and the flowers drop. Grown up a string in a warm sheltered spot, with the roots never dry, one plant gives a cucumber every couple of days for a month. The greenhouse types need warmth and produce fruit without pollination; the ridge or outdoor types are tougher, shorter and need bees. Pinch out the growing tip when it reaches the top of its support so the plant puts its effort into the side shoots that carry the fruit, and pick young rather than letting one grow huge, which stops everything else.