Cucurbits can require a great deal of water when the fruit are maturing. In the drought-plagued West, this can be a problem. Some farms still flood the furrows to irrigate, as overhead watering can cause disease, but soaking and other trickle type irrigation is becoming more prevalent. When harvested, members of the cucumber family require near-immediate refrigeration and as fresh produce cucumbers have a short shelf life of about 2 weeks. Saving seeds for replanting is not recommended, because most Cucurbits are hybrids. Because the plants can cross-pollinate, the subsequent crop may not be as large or robust. Seeds are sensitive to cold, and will rot when soil temperature is under 60°F.

Probably the largest issue for Cucurbits today and other fruits such as tomatoes is the plastic mulch used to control weeds and warm the soil. The mulch is really just long sheets of plastic pinned to the ground over the mounds. Small holes are cut at intervals to allow for seed planting. While plastic mulch is very effective, most of it is petroleum-based, and not recyclable, so it is thrown away. Biodegradable alternatives are becoming available, but to date none of these can be considered “organic”. There is an irony in that organic growers, who can’t spray pesticide, rely more heavily on plastic mulch than traditional growers.