How to grow Cucumber (Telegraph)

Cucumis sativus

🥕 Vegetable 🌱 Grown each year

A classic, long, slender, smooth-skinned slicing cucumber, known for its excellent flavour and productivity. Ideal for greenhouse or outdoor growing with support.

At a glance: Sow late April to late May, harvest from early July.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sow outdoors

Flowers

Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Cucumber (Telegraph): what it needs

Light: Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering: Daily, especially during fruiting
Soil: Rich, well-draining, high organic matter · pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing: 60-90cm apart
In pots: Grows well in containers
Feeding: Feed with balanced liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks once flowering begins.
Harvest: About 50 days from sowing
Hardiness: USDA zones 3–10
Difficulty: Easy

Step by step

Late April – late May · 7 days after the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Outdoors (optional)
Direct sow 2-3 seeds per mound, 1-2cm deep, after all frost risk has passed and soil is warm (above 15°C/60°F).
7–10 days after “Sow Seeds Indoors” · Late April – early May
Check Germination
Seedlings should emerge in 7-10 days. Ensure consistent moisture.
14 days after “Transplant Outdoors” · Mid May
Add Support
Provide a trellis, cage, or stakes for vining cucumbers to climb. This improves air circulation and fruit quality.
21 days after “Add Support” · Early June
Start Feeding
Begin feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks once flowers appear and fruits start to set.
30–60 days after “Start Feeding” · Early July – early August
Harvest Cucumbers
Pick cucumbers when they are 20-30cm (8-12 inches) long, firm, and uniformly green. Harvest regularly to encourage more fruit.