Vegetable · Fruiting vegetable
Cucumbers
Cucumis sativusA vigorous, warmth-loving vine that turns a strong start into a flood of fruit within weeks. Trellising keeps fruit straight, clean, and easy to find under the leaves. The one rule: keep watering steady — irregular moisture turns fruit bitter.
Sow depth
¾ in
Spacing
12 in · rows 3 ft
Sun
Full sun
Germination
6–10 days
Time to harvest
50–65 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow cucumbers
- Sow from about 1 week after your last expected frost until about 9 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Wait for warm soil — cucumbers sulk and rot in cold ground.Direct sow in mounds or rows once frost risk has passed.Set up a trellis at sowing time so vines can climb from the start.
Water deeply and evenly — irregular moisture causes bitter fruit.Train vines up the trellis and tuck in wandering tendrils.Mulch thickly to keep soil moisture steady through hot spells.
Pick often, while fruit is firm and still smaller than full size.Cut rather than pull stems to avoid damaging the vine.Regular picking keeps the plant producing for weeks longer.
Companion plants
Beans fix nitrogen that heavy-feeding cucumber vines use to keep fruiting through the season.
Watch out for
Cucumber beetle — Spreads bacterial wilt while feeding on leaves and stems. Cover young plants with mesh until flowering begins.Powdery mildew — Coats leaves in humid, still conditions late in the season. Water at the soil line and space vines for airflow.