Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S S           S S S S S
T T T           T T T T
P P             P P P P

(Best months for growing Cucumber in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes
  • Cucumbers on plant (commons.wikimedia.org - Rasbak - CC BY-SA 3.0)
  • Young plant
  • Female flower with baby fruit
  • Male flower

A trailing plant which will grow tendrils as it gets bigger. Cucumbers can be started in small peat pots then transplanted when weather is suitable. Lebanese cucumbers are best picked about 10 -12 cm (4 - 5 in) and eaten whole. Gherkins are usually picked 5 or 6 cm (2 - 3 in) long and pickled. They have a prickly skin. Apple cucumbers are round with a pale, almost white, smooth skin.

Grow in full sun up a trellis or framework to save space and keep the fruit clean. Needs ties to support it at first. Water regularly and fertilise to encourage growth.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Cucumber

Pick frequently before the fruit become too big.
Use raw in salads, peeled if preferred. Bash them with a rolling pin before slicing and marinade with a rice vinegar/fish sauce/sugar mix and they will absorb the flavours of the dressing.

Your comments and tips

29 Sep 24, (USA - Zone 7a climate)
Can I sow seeds of the Marketmore Cucks Oct lst in U.S. 7.2? INDOORS and grow inside with a lot of sun coming through the windows? Karen/Clarkston WA 99403
19 Mar 24, Donna (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My organic cuc’s got smashed with pests this season, I do have 4 more coming on (March) but I’d there a variety that will fruit In SE QLD (Fraser Coast) winter? TIA
25 Mar 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
When there is rain there are pests. Plants generally do not grow well out of season.
31 Jan 24, filippo italiano (Australia - temperate climate)
hi have eg planst and the leaves ar curling and doing up can you recommend the cure for the plants thanks fill
13 Jan 24, Pitman Wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
CUCAMELON: This is the fourth season growing the Cucamelon in Adelaide and getting a better result each year, but the vine and leaves turn brown and die off rather early. Any suggestions please.
05 Jan 24, Debbie (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi, I planted 2 Lebanese cucumbers last year and again this year. Both were/are healthy plants. Issue is..there are many female flowers (hundreds) and they just wither and die. Not a single male flower both seasons. Should I be planting a different variety of cucumber nearby to help with male flowers and pollination? Help!
23 Dec 23, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Cucumbers. I always grow Lebanese Cuces, supported by the chicken wire fence of my garden. This year the vines look great and there are lots of bees feeding on the flowers, but I am only getting about one Cuce per day. Feeding liquid manure, mixed with Dynamic Lifter. Any ideas why the crop is so small? Cheers Pete.
09 Jan 24, Gerrie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Switch to fertilisers labelled "flowers and fruit", fertilisers with a lower nitrogen content. Animal manures have a high Nitrogen content that is good for basic plant growth. For example, Dynamic Lifter which is pelletised cow manure has an NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) ratio of 3.5 - 1 - 1.6 which is good for initial growth, but switch to another fertiliser when the plants are growing strongly.
12 Jan 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you compare a general fertiliser with some of these specialty fertilisers there is very little difference between them. I use Nitrophoska which is 15 - 6 - 12. It is used by commercial vegetable growers. Manures do not have high N content compared to commercial fertilisers. You just do not put raw manures on heavily, especially chook. You judge how much fert you put on by how high the npk is. A handful of fertiliser per sq meter is sufficient to grow a lot of crops. Applied a week or two before planting seed/seedlings and turned in.
02 Jan 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A good fertilising at planting is all they need. A light fertilise maybe when they start flowering. Can't help with the reduced crop. I picked over 120 cues off 5 plants November.
Showing 1 - 10 of 495 comments

I had planted Lebanese cucumber and only got 2 cucumbers then the plant got riddled in grubs have since planted some more and wondering what I can do to prevent it happening again. I hate using chemicals if I can help it

- Glenys Smith

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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