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Annual Vegetable · 54 varieties

Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Cucurbitaceae — the same plant family as winter squash, summer squash, melon, watermelon and 7 more here. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is an annual vegetable. It wants full sun and pH 6–6.5 soil, with about 1–2 in of water weekly. It matures in about 50–70 days from sowing. Watch for aphids and powdery mildew. Below: its full sourced profile from 11 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Sun Full sun
Water Moderate
Matures 50–70 days — from seed from seed
Mature size 8–18 in
Spacing 8–12 in
Soil pH 6–6.5
Frost Tender
When to plant cucumbertypical · zone 6b
Your zone
…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Germinating
Seedlings
Growing
Flowering
Fruit set
Harvest

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. This calendar assumes the crop is started indoors. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing cucumberevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Sun
Full sun
Soil pH
6–6.5
Soil texture
Sandy loam, Loam, Well drained
Frost tolerance
Tender
Suffers in days above
90 °F
Suffers in nights above
70 °F

No published figure for the temperature that would kill it. We looked — where a number is missing here it is missing from the research, not skipped. The crop’s frost and heat tolerance above still applies.

The plant

Mature height
8–18 in
Mature spread
3–8 ft
Growth rate
Fastest
Spacing in row
8–12 in
Between rows
48–72 in
Planting depth
0.5–1 in
Container size
5–10 gal — low end is the minimum, high end is better
Support
Needs staking or a trellis
Grown from
Direct sow, Transplant

Water & feeding

Water needs
Moderate
Water per week
1–2 in/wk
Critical water
Fruit set
Feeding
Moderate

Timing & fruiting

Days to maturity
50–70 days from seed
Start indoors before planting out
3 wk
Harvest cues
Fruit sizing
Chilling injury below
33 °F

There is no line here for how long after the last frost to plant it out and how often to sow another batch, because we have no figure to put there. We went looking and wrote down what we read — it is missing on purpose, not because nobody checked.

Planted again for autumn

South Carolina — Piedmont
Aug 1 – Sep 30
South Carolina — Coastal Plain
Aug 1 – Aug 30

Published by the extension service for its own regions, and quoted here for those regions only — converting them would mean assuming a frost date somewhere else. The chart says when, not whether to sow seed or set out plants, so we do not either. Only South Carolina so far.

Sow by
early Sep typical · zone 6b

50 days to maturity from sowing, counted back from the first frost above. Not published for anywhere in particular: it is your own frost date and this crop's own figure, which is why it works wherever you are. A days-to-maturity figure is a catalog number for a good season rather than a promise, and a cold month moves it.

Edible parts per source: fruit.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first
PestsAphidsCucumber beetlesStriped cucumber beetleSpotted cucumber beetleSpider mitesPicklewormWhitefliesSquash vine borer
DiseasesPowdery mildewDowny mildewBacterial wiltAnthracnoseAngular leaf spotMosaic virusGummy stem blightTarget spotBelly rot

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

⚠ Reported toxicityverbatim from cited sources

Different parts differ — the edible part is the fruit; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.

PetsNon toxic to dogs, Non toxic to cats, Non toxic to horses

Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).

Featured varieties54 with their own page
Adam Gherkin Pickling · 47d Armenian Specialty · 63d Ashley Slicing · 65d Beit Alpha Beit Alpha · 52d Boothby's Blonde Slicing · 65d Boston Pickling Pickling · 52d Bristol Slicing · 54d Burpless Slicing · 60d Bush Champion Slicing · 60–70d Bush Pickle Pickling · 54d Calypso Pickling · 52d Citadel Pickling · 52d Corinto Slicing · 48d County Fair Improved Pickling · 50d Crystal Apple Specialty · 65d Dasher II Slicing · 58d Diva Slicing · 58d Excelsior Pickling · 50d General Lee Slicing · 66d Green Finger Beit Alpha · 60d Green Fingers Baby Persian Mini · 60d H-19 Little Leaf Pickling · 57d Homemade Pickles Pickling · 60d Itachi Specialty · 54d Iznik Mini · 45d Katrina Beit Alpha · 49d Lemon Specialty · 65d Marketer Slicing · 55d Marketmore 76 Slicing · 65d Marketmore 80 Slicing · 61d Marketmore 86 Slicing · 58d Marketmore 97 Slicing · 55d Muncher Slicing · 60d National Pickling Pickling · 52d Northern Pickling Pickling · 48d Olympian Slicing · 59d Parisian Gherkin Pickling · 50d Persian Mini · 55d Picolino Mini · 50d Poinsett 76 Slicing · 70d Salad Bush Slicing · 57d Salt and Pepper Pickling · 49d Silver Slicer Slicing · 54d Socrates Beit Alpha · 52d SpaceMaster 80 Slicing · 60d Straight Eight Slicing · 63d Suyo Long Asian Long · 61d Sweet Slice Slicing · 63d Sweet Success Slicing · 58d Tasty Green Slicing · 62d Tasty Jade Asian Long · 54d Telegraph Improved Slicing · 62d Tendergreen Slicing · 55d Wisconsin SMR 58 Pickling · 55d

Open one and add it to your garden — it lights up here. The rest of the 54 are in the full list below.

All 54 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked
Variety TypeHabit DaysColorDiseaseWhat it is known for
Adam Gherkin F1 Pickling Vining 47 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW SCAB
Armenian Heirloom Specialty Vining 63 Green
Ashley Heirloom Slicing Vining 65 Green DOWNY_MILDEW Reimer Seeds describes this astakes the heat
Beit Alpha F1 Beit Alpha Vining 52 Green
Boothby's Blonde Heirloom Slicing Vining 65 Yellow
Boston Pickling Heirloom Pickling Vining 52 Green
Bristol F1 Slicing Vining 54 Green ANTHRACNOSE ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS SCAB ZUCCHINI_YELLOW_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW PAPAYA_RINGSPOT_VIRUS
Burpless F1 Slicing Vining 60 Green
Bush Champion Slicing Bush 60–70 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS
Bush Pickle F1 Pickling Bush 54 Green SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW Holmes Seed Company describes this ashappy in a pot
Calypso F1 Pickling Vining 52 Green ANTHRACNOSE SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT
Citadel F1 Pickling Vining 52 Green ANTHRACNOSE ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW
Corinto F1 Slicing Vining 48 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS CUCUMBER_VEIN_YELLOWING_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW
County Fair Improved F1 Pickling Vining 50 Green BACTERIAL_WILT Holmes Seed Company describes this asno seeds
Crystal Apple Heirloom Specialty Vining 65 White
Dasher II F1 Slicing Vining 58 Green ANTHRACNOSE SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT
Diva F1 Slicing Vining 58 Green Reimer Seeds describes this asno seeds
Excelsior F1 Pickling Vining 50 Green SCAB TARGET_SPOT CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS CUCUMBER_VEIN_YELLOWING_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW
General Lee F1 Slicing Vining 66 Green
Green Finger F1 Beit Alpha Vining 60 Green
Green Fingers Baby Persian F1 Mini Vining 60 Green POWDERY_MILDEW
H-19 Little Leaf Pickling Vining 57 Green ANTHRACNOSE ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT BACTERIAL_WILT SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW
Homemade Pickles Pickling Vining 60 Green
Itachi F1 Specialty Vining 54 White
Iznik F1 Mini Vining 45 Green POWDERY_MILDEW SCAB Johnny's Selected Seeds describes this asno seeds
Katrina F1 Beit Alpha Vining 49 Green SCAB CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS CUCUMBER_VEIN_YELLOWING_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW Johnny's Selected Seeds describes this asno seeds · takes the heat
Lemon Heirloom Specialty Vining 65 Yellow
Marketer Heirloom Slicing Vining 55 Green
Marketmore 76 Slicing Vining 65 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW SCAB
Marketmore 80 Slicing Vining 61 Green
Marketmore 86 Slicing Bush 58 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW SCAB
Marketmore 97 Slicing Vining 55 Green
Muncher Slicing Vining 60 Green CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS
National Pickling Heirloom Pickling Vining 52 Green
Northern Pickling Pickling Vining 48 Green SCAB
Olympian F1 Slicing Vining 59 Green
Parisian Gherkin F1 Pickling Vining 50 Green CCU CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS DOWNY_MILDEW
Persian F1 Mini Vining 55 Green
Picolino F1 Mini Vining 50 Green SCAB TSP CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS CUCUMBER_VEIN_YELLOWING_VIRUS POWDERY_MILDEW Johnny's Selected Seeds describes this asno seeds
Poinsett 76 Slicing Vining 70 Green DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW ANTHRACNOSE ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT SCAB
Salad Bush F1 Slicing Bush 57 Green CCU CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS
Salt and Pepper Pickling Vining 49 White ANGULAR_LEAF_SPOT POWDERY_MILDEW
Silver Slicer Heirloom Slicing Vining 54 White POWDERY_MILDEW
Socrates F1 Beit Alpha Vining 52 Green SCAB TSP POWDERY_MILDEW Johnny's Selected Seeds describes this asno seeds
SpaceMaster 80 Slicing Bush 60 Green
Straight Eight Heirloom Slicing Vining 63 Green
Suyo Long Heirloom Asian Long Vining 61 Green
Sweet Slice F1 Slicing Vining 63 Green
Sweet Success F1 Slicing Vining 58 Green Reimer Seeds describes this asno seeds
Tasty Green F1 Slicing Vining 62 Green DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW
Tasty Jade F1 Asian Long Vining 54 Green DOWNY_MILDEW POWDERY_MILDEW
Telegraph Improved Heirloom Slicing Vining 62 Green
Tendergreen Heirloom Slicing Vining 55 Green
Wisconsin SMR 58 Heirloom Pickling Vining 55 Green CCU CUCUMBER_MOSAIC_VIRUS
Sources11 cited · 7 organizations
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
  • Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC
  • Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
  • NC State Extension
  • University of Maryland Extension
  • University of Minnesota Extension
  • Utah State University Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 22 of the 23 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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