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Cucumbers require warm, dry conditions to develop optimally, preferring both warm days and warm nights and growing best at a temperature of 30°C (86°F). Cucumbers will yield best if grown in a fertile, well-draining soil, rich in organic matter and with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Cucumbers are very sensitive to cold and should be planted in full sun and provided with ample soil moisture due to their shallow root system. Cucumber varieties One of the biggest considerations when choosing a cucumber variety is whether or not it requires pollinating. Many newer cucumber varieties are gynoecious which means that they produce only, or mostly, female flowers. Some gynoecious varieties require pollinating with male flowers, in which case a proportion of the seeds in the packet will be pollinator plants which produce the male flowers. Some gynoecious varieties are parthenocarpic which means that they do not need the male plants to produce fruit. These types are recommended for growing in glasshouses as they do not requ