Cucumber types
| Type | What sources say |
|---|---|
| Slicing | Long, slender (Clemson); picked at 5–8 in (UMD), 6–8 in (Iowa State) or 6–10 in (Clemson) |
| Pickling | Short, blocky, bumpy (Clemson); picked at 2–4 in (Iowa State, UMD) or 2–6 in (Clemson) |
| Burpless | Long, slender, tender-skinned (UMD) |
| Bush or dwarf | Very short vines for small gardens (UMN) and containers (NC State) |
| All-female (gynoecious) | Needs a standard variety nearby for pollen (UMN); packets include some standard seed (UMD) |
| Seedless (parthenocarpic) | Sets fruit without pollination (UMD); Clemson names Diva, Excelsior, Sugar Crunch and SV4719CS |
When to plant
Cucumbers cannot survive freezing (UMN); most sources wait for warm soil after the last frost.
| Question | Figures given |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature to sow | 60–70°F (Iowa State); 65°F (Utah State); at least 70°F at 1 in deep (UMN); 70°F (Clemson). Seeds will not germinate below 50°F (Clemson) |
| Germination | 5–10 days at 65–85°F (Utah State) |
| Starting indoors | 2–3 weeks before planting out (Iowa State, Clemson); no more than 4 weeks, in peat pots to protect the taproot (UMN); 4–6 weeks (Utah State) |
| Days to harvest | 50–65 from seed (UMD); 50–70 (Clemson, Montana State) |
| Area | Spring | Summer or fall |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia, zones 6a / 6b | May 10–June 10 / May 1–June 10 | June 10–July 10 |
| Virginia, zones 7a / 7b | April 20–June 20 / April 10–June 10 | June 20–July 20 / June 10–August 1 |
| Virginia, zones 8a / 8b | April 10–July 1 / April 1–July 1 | July 1–August 10 |
| South Carolina Piedmont / coast | April 15–June 5 / March 15–May 15 | August 1–September 30 / August 1–30 |
| Central Iowa / Minnesota | Mid-May (Iowa State) / about late May (UMN) | Iowa: until July 10 |
For your own dates, start from frost dates explained and the planting calendar.
Trellis or ground?
- 1. On the ground: rows 5 ft apart, plants 8–10 in apart in the row (Clemson); other sources give rows 4–6 ft apart (Iowa State, Utah State, Maryland, Virginia Tech)
- 2. On a trellis: rows 3 ft apart; trellis about 6 ft tall with a top and bottom wire, posts no more than 15 ft apart (Clemson)
- 3. Minnesota's cucumber page trains vines on a 3–4 ft trellis (UMN)
- 4. Container depth by source: 8 in (NC State, 1 gal), 12 in (Montana State, 8 in wide), 12–18 in (UW–Madison, at least 5 gal), 12–16 in (Maryland, 8–10 gal)
| Question | On the ground | On a trellis |
|---|---|---|
| Spacing | Plants 8–10 in apart, rows 5 ft (Clemson); hills 3–5 ft apart, rows 4–5 ft (Iowa State); hills 5–6 ft apart (UMN); 12 in apart, rows 48–72 in (UMD) | 4–5 seeds per foot, thinned to 9–12 in (Clemson, UMD); rows 3 ft apart (Clemson) |
| Support height | None | About 6 ft, posts no more than 15 ft apart (Clemson); 3–4 ft (UMN) |
| Fruit and disease | — | Straighter, cleaner fruit (UMN); easier picking and better air movement, which reduces disease (Virginia Extension) |
| Water | — | May need watering more often (UMN) |
- Posts and mesh: posts at least 18–24 in into the ground, mesh holes no more than 4 in across (Virginia Extension). A 6-ft stake driven 1 ft deep leaves 5 ft of trellis; space stakes 5–6 ft apart (UMN trellis guide).
- Training: weave the tips through the mesh every few days; check that fruit does not wedge in it. Cucumbers need no slings (UMN).
- Timing: install the support at seeding or transplanting (NC State).
For grid beds, compare trellised-cucumber counts on square foot gardening spacing.
Planting step by step
- Choose full sun: at least 6 hours of direct light, 8–10 preferred (UMD).
- Warm the soil. Black plastic mulch warms it; hold straw or compost mulch until the soil is above 75°F (UMN, Utah State). Target pH 6.0–6.5 (UMN, Clemson).
- Sow ½ in deep (UMN) or 1 in (Iowa State, Utah State), 4–5 seeds per hill thinned to 2–3 plants (Iowa State).
- Cover the seedlings against beetles (see below).
- Water about 1 in a week (UMN) or 1–2 in (Utah State), wetting the soil at least 6 in deep in the morning (Clemson). Water stress causes bitter, misshapen fruit (Utah State).
Containers
| Source | Minimum container | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC State | 1 gal, 1 plant per container | 8 in | A support or trellis is required for vining types |
| Montana State | 8 in wide | 12 in | At least 5 hours of direct sun |
| UW–Madison | At least 5 gal | 12–18 in | Trellis for vining types, or bush and hanging varieties; water daily once fruiting |
| UMD | 8–10 gal, one plant | 12–16 in | Listed with the large vegetables |
The minimums run from 1 gallon (NC State) to 8–10 gallons (UMD). UW–Madison's container variety list includes Bush Champion, Bush Pickle, Iznik, Parisian Gherkin, Patio Snacker, Salad Bush, Saladmore Bush, Space Master and Sugar Crunch. More crops: container sizes for vegetables.
Flowers, pollination and bitterness
- Male flowers first. The first 10–20 flowers on standard varieties are male (UMD, Clemson); early blossom drop is normal (UMN).
- Bees do the work. Each flower needs 8–12 bee visits for a full, straight fruit (UMD); cool, wet weather or bee-harmful insecticides cause misshapen fruit (Iowa State). Flowers open for one day, so hand-pollinate in the morning (Clemson).
- No crossing with squash, pumpkins or melons (Iowa State).
- Bitterness comes from cucurbitacins that rise under hot, dry stress (Iowa State) or temperature swings over 20°F (Clemson).
Cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt
The striped cucumber beetle is about ¼ in long, yellow with three black stripes; the spotted cucumber beetle is yellow-green with 12 black spots (UW–Madison, UMD). In California the western spotted species is the most abundant (UC IPM). Adults chew seedlings, leaves, flowers and fruit; larvae feed on roots (UW–Madison, Virginia Extension). Striped beetles spread bacterial wilt; cucumbers are highly susceptible, there is no rescue treatment, and infected plants should be removed (UVM 2024). To check a wilted vine, cut the stem, press the ends together and pull them apart slowly: fine strands of sap suggest wilt (UMD).
| Tactic | What sources say |
|---|---|
| Row cover | On right after planting, off at flowering for the bees (UW–Madison, UVM 2024, UMD, Iowa State); UW waits for female flowers; Utah State removes covers above 90°F; seedless varieties can stay covered (UMN) |
| Later planting | Plantings after mid-June face fewer beetles (Iowa State); plant around June 15 (UMD) |
| Variety | Less bitter cucumbers attract fewer beetles (UW–Madison, UMN); Liberty and Wisconsin SMR-58 tolerate feeding (UW–Madison); County Fair resists bacterial wilt (UMD) |
| Trap crop | Blue Hubbard squash sown 1–2 weeks early at the edges, with its beetles controlled (UW–Madison) or ringing the crop (UVM); small plantings benefit less (Virginia Extension) |
| Scouting | 2–3 times a week early, then weekly (UW–Madison); hand-pick early in the morning (UVM 1998) or knock beetles into soapy water (UW–Madison) |
| Cleanup | Remove plant debris after the season (UW–Madison, UMD) |
Virginia Extension advises home gardeners to act at about one beetle per plant; UC IPM notes that most older plants tolerate substantial numbers.
This page gives no pesticide or fertilizer rates. The UW–Madison, Maryland and UC IPM pages linked below discuss product options; follow the label and ask your county extension office to confirm a diagnosis.
Where sources disagree
| Topic | Figures |
|---|---|
| Earliest planting | After frost, in warm soil (UMN, Iowa State, Clemson); from 1 week before the last frost (Montana State); 2–3 weeks before it under plastic mulch and row covers (Utah State) |
| Trellis height | About 6 ft (Clemson) vs 3–4 ft (UMN) |
| Container | 1 gal, 8 in deep (NC State) to 8–10 gal, 12–16 in deep (UMD) |
| Most vulnerable seedlings | Up to the three-leaf stage (UW–Madison), four-leaf (UVM 1998) or five-leaf (UVM 2024) |
| Dodging beetles by date | Plant around mid-June (Iowa State, UMD); in Vermont overwintered adults reach new plants around mid-June, and UVM suggests larger transplants set out later (UVM 2024) |
| Fall crop | Clemson lists August–September sowing; Virginia Tech lists summer windows but its amounts table suggests no fall planting |
Harvest
Pick every 2–3 days (Iowa State), 5–7 days after flowering while fruit is young (Utah State); Maryland and Virginia Tech expect 8–10 lb per 10-ft row; Virginia Tech suggests 2–4 plants per person per planting.
Small-space checklist
- Wait for soil of 60–70°F after the last frost.
- Choose a bush variety for a pot, or set a 3–6 ft trellis before sowing.
- Cover seedlings at planting; uncover when flowers open.
- Water about 1 in a week in the ground, daily in a fruiting container.
- Pull wilted, infected vines promptly.
- Pick every 2–3 days.
More crop pages: zucchini and summer squash, peas, bush and pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, radishes and lettuce.
Sources
- University of Minnesota Extension — Growing cucumbers (Schuh, Fritz and Rosen, reviewed 2024)
- Iowa State University Extension Yard and Garden — Growing Cucumbers in the Home Garden (Jauron and Steil, reviewed 2023)
- Utah State University Extension — How to Grow Cucumber in Your Garden (Heflebower and Drost, 2020)
- University of Maryland Extension — Growing Cucumbers in a Home Garden (updated 2023)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center — Cucumber (HGIC 1309, updated 2023)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension — Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331, Jadrnicek and Hessler, 2025)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension — Vertical Gardening Using Trellises, Stakes, and Cages (HORT-189NP)
- University of Minnesota Extension — Trellises and cages (Jill MacKenzie, reviewed 2024)
- NC State Extension Gardener Handbook — Chapter 18, Plants Grown in Containers (Table 18-1)
- Montana State University Extension — Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension — Growing Vegetables in Containers
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension — Vegetable Varieties for Containers (Vijai Pandian, revised 2021)
- University of Maryland Extension — Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture — Cucumber Beetles (Lowenstein, Groves and Liesch, 2026)
- University of Maryland Extension — Cucumber Beetles: Spotted or Striped on Vegetables (updated 2024)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension — Striped Cucumber Beetle (ENTO-61, 2020)
- University of Vermont Plant Diagnostic Clinic — The Striped Cucumber Beetle (Ann Hazelrigg, 2024, PDF)
- University of Vermont Extension, Vegetable and Berry newsletter — striped cucumber beetle (Vern Grubinger, June 1, 1998)
- University of Vermont Extension — Perimeter Trap Cropping: A Novel Approach to Insect Pest Control (Vern Grubinger, 2004)
- UC Statewide IPM Program — Cucumber Beetles (Home and Landscape)
All sources were opened and checked in October 2026. Rules and figures change; confirm with the original before acting.