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Learn how to grow cucumbers to enjoy fresh, organic cucumbers all summer long! Whether you are growing in a garden or on your patio there are great varieties of cucumbers for you.
When you first think of cucumbers you probably think of the long dark green fruits you commonly see in stores.
But there really are a wide variety of cucumbers you can grow in many shapes and sizes!
From round yellow lemon cucumbers to long Armenian cucumbers that are pale green in color.
Growing your own cucumbers opens up a whole new world of tastes you can explore!
Don’t worry growing cucumbers is easy, but if you want to grow the best cucumbers make sure to follow these easy tips for a successful garden.
Planting Tips
When To Plant Cucumbers
Cucumbers are heat-loving plants that can’t take frost. So wait to plant cucumbers by seed or transplant until 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost date in the spring.
Early Spring Planting Of Cucumbers
If you really want to get a jump on the growing season you can start them 2 weeks earlier as long as you provide good protection from cold weather and frosts.
It also helps if you warm the soil for a few weeks before planting, especially if you are planting cucumbers out earlier in the growing season.
Start by laying black plastic down over your garden bed 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. This will help to warm up the soil.
Then 2 weeks before your last spring frost date remove the black plastic and plant your cucumber seeds or transplants. Cover them with a mini plastic hoop tunnel or floating row cover.
Summer Planting Cucumbers
To keep a great supply of cucumbers coming from your garden it’s a good idea to start multiple plantings.
Start another planting of cucumbers by seed indoors at the same time you are transplanting your first sowing into the garden. These cucumbers will be ready to transplant into your garden 4 weeks later.
If you have a long growing season you can start cucumbers directly in the garden every 3 weeks until mid-summer.
Make sure to pick an earlier variety of cucumbers for these succession plantings to make sure they have enough time to produce before the fall frosts.
How To Plant Cucumbers
Cucumbers can be grown in rows or hills depending on if you want to let them sprawl on the ground to trellis them.
If you are growing cucumbers in a row, make a planting row 1/2 inches (1.27 cm) deep and space the seeds 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Once they’ve germinated thin the seedlings to be 8 to 10 (20 to 25 cm) inches apart. This spacing works great when you are using a trellis.
If you are growing in cucumbers in hills then I have had great results by placing 6 seeds in each hill about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then space the hills 3 feet (91 cm) apart. This works very well for cucumbers that you want to let grow on the ground.
How To Grow Cucumbers
Do Cucumbers Need Sun Or Shade?
Cucumbers love to grow in full sun and will thrive in warm areas with 6-8 hours of sunlight. But if your garden is in part shade don’t let that stop you from growing cucumbers!
We have successfully grown bushels of cucumbers from plants grown in the dappled shade under our apple trees.
How Often Should You Water Cucumbers?
Cucumbers grow best in moist soil and need consistent water. Make sure your cucumber plants get 1 inch of water per week in normal growing conditions.
If you are in a drought or extended dry period then you may need to increase the amount of water.
Cucumbers that don’t get enough water when growing tend to taste bitter.
What’s The Best Fertilizer For Cucumbers?
Cucumbers like most vining plants are heavy feeders in addition to needing constant water to grow well they also need a lot of nutrients.
We’ve found that adding high-quality compost to the growing bed in the fall or a few weeks before planting in the spring gives great results.
When transplanting cucumber seedlings into the garden we fill the planting hole with liquid fish emulsion.
When the vines reach 1 foot (30 cm) long we fertilize as needed every 2-3 weeks with compost tea or fish emulsion.
Related: Best Organic Fertilizers For Vegetable Gardens
How Big Do Cucumber Plants Get?
Different varieties of cucumbers will grow to be different sizes when fully mature so it’s a good idea to pick a cucumber variety that will fit into your growing area the best. Most cucumbers can grow vines 5 to 6 feet (152 to 182 cm) long.
If you have limited space try growing bush types of cucumbers in your small space garden.
These grow to 1/3 the size of vining cucumbers with vines about 2 feet (60 cm) long. They are perfect for growing in containers too!
How High Will Cucumbers Climb?
Cucumbers grown outside can easily climb a 5 to 6-foot (152 to 182 cm) trellis in a good growing year.
If your cucumbers start growing over the top of your trellis you can add an extension to it or start training the cucumber plants to grow sideways and back down the trellis.
How Many Cucumbers Can You Get From One Plant?
If you are growing slicing cucumbers you will want to plant 2 to 3 plants per person. On average cucumber plants will produce 10 large cucumbers per plant in a good growing season.
Smaller bush varieties may produce less.
4 Types Of Cucumbers You Can Grow
Pickling
Pickling cucumber plants look just like regular cucumbers but they produce smaller fruit. The skin is thinner on the cucumbers and they are often covered in spins or bumps.
Pickling cucumbers grow quickly and need daily picking once they start producing.
Slicing
Slicing cucumbers are very popular to grow in home gardens and for good reason. Fresh cucumbers are amazing in salads or a stand-alone snack.
Once they have cucumbers 6 to 8 (15 to 20 cm) inches long start harvesting them regularly to keep the plants producing.
If you keep up with them you should be getting a steady supply of cucumbers for 4 to 6 weeks.
Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern cucumbers also called Beit Alpha types are a fun type of cucumber to grow. They are vigorous plants that need trellising and produce lots of cucumbers.
The fruit is thin-skinned and doesn’t need pealing because they are never bitter.
Asian
Asian cucumbers are slender and mild-tasting, with dark green bumpy skin. They are wonderful used for slicing, salads, and pickles.
Cucumber Varieties To Try
Spacemaster
If you don’t have a lot of room the Spacemaster cucumber is a great choice to grow! This compact plant grows short vines making it perfect for container gardens. Produces 7 1/2 inch (17 cm) dark green fruit. 60 Days
Armenian
These Armenian cucumbers grow to be very long! 30 to 36 inches (76 to 91 cm) and a lovely dark green color. Unlike most cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers are bitter free and have an amazing flavor in salads and other dishes. 65 Days
Get Armenian Cucumber Seeds Here
Marketmore
This is one of my favourite cucumbers to grow! It grows vigorous plants producing cucumbers 8 to 9 inches (20 to 22 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
It’s perfect for growing as summer slicers for salads but also works well for making relish. 55 Days
Get Marketmore Cucumber Seeds Here
Chicago Pickling Cucumbers
This variety is a faithful producer in my gardens year after year.
They produce high yields of dark green cucumbers that can grow up to 7 inches (17 cm) long and still taste great for making pickles and relish. But at that size, they make great salad cucumbers too. 55 Days
Get Chicago Pickling Cucumber Seeds Here
Harvesting
Cucumbers really can be harvested at any size you like, most varieties will be ready to start harvesting from in 50 to 70 days.
If you are growing pickling cucumbers you can pick them when they are tiny gherkin sized or 3 to 4 (7.6 to 10.16 cm) inches long.
For slicers, most varieties will be best picked when they are 6 inches (15 cm) long, or longer if you are growing English cucumbers.
No matter what type of cucumbers you are growing make sure to harvest them often and not to let the cucumbers get overripe and start to turn yellow.
This will trigger the plants to stop producing new cucumbers.
Pests And Diseases
- Spotted and Striped Cucumber Beetles
- Squash Bugs
- Aphids
- Squash Vine Bores
- Powdery Mildew
Summary
- Plant cucumbers in the garden 1-2 weeks after your last frost date.
- Water your cucumbers regularly, providing 1 inch of water each week.
- Fertilize with organic fertilizers every 2-3 weeks during the growing season.
- Harvest cucumbers often to keep the plants producing.
- Keep your eye out for pests and use organic methods to control them right away.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.