Vegetable Grow Guides
How to Grow Organic Cucumber from Seed
Cucumis sativus
About Cucumber
Cucumbers are warm-season vines. Trellising keeps fruit straight, saves space, and reduces disease. Plants need consistent water from flower to harvest or they turn bitter.
When to Plant
Sow or transplant after last frost when soil is at least 70°F. This is a date, not a growth-habit note. In short seasons, start pots 3 weeks before last frost; they dislike root disturbance.
How to Plant
Sow 1 inch deep. Hills: 3 seeds, thin to 2, hills 3 ft apart. Rows: 12–24 inches on a trellis, 36 inches if sprawling. About 0.25–0.5 plants per square foot on a trellis. Mulch and water the soil, not the leaves.
When to Harvest
Pick slicing types at 6–8 inches, picklers smaller, even before they turn yellow. Yellow = overripe and seedy. Harvest every 1–2 days to keep plants producing.