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VegetablesTenderAnnual
Cucumber
Cucumber is a fast-growing cucurbit grown for crisp refreshing fruits, whether for slicing, salads or pickling. Plants can be trained vertically to save space and are especially productive in greenhouses, though outdoor ridge types also crop well in warm sheltered gardens.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Tender
Planting partners
3 companions · 2 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
84 days
Germination window
5–10 days
Germination temperature
20–30 °C
Plant spacing
45 cm
Row spacing
90 cm
Sowing depth
2 cm
Height
200 cm
Spread
45 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Keep cucumbers growing without checks by maintaining even moisture, warm conditions and high fertility throughout the season. Train climbing plants upward, improve ventilation under cover to reduce mildew and spider mite, and pick fruits while young and tender so plants keep producing.
Common pests
Aphids, glasshouse whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite, cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew.
