Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

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

(Best months for growing Cucumber in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed

October: After risk of frost

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches 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

Your comments and tips

02 Jun 22, Jesslyn (USA - Zone 10a climate)
I think I'm going to lose my cucumbers to mold. Is it too late to plant new?
14 Oct 22, Kim (USA - Zone 9b climate)
1 tbl. Baking soda to 1 gal. Water. Spray plant.
06 Jun 22, Mindi (USA - Zone 8a climate)
I'd try starting a packet of fresh cucumber seed in a domed container (to keep in moisture to speed germination) and soak the seeds the night before... Then you should be able to choose the biggest seedlings to up pot for a week or so and get them hardened off. You could still plant out the other small seedlings as well and with that many seedlings you may get the amount of cukes you were short on with the loss of your damaged plants. We lost plants due to deer eating them and had to do this... The heat of the summer was a challenge with tender transplants but we still had cucumbers in the end. Not as big, but smaller cukes are good for salads and pickles. I'd throw a packet in some water and get them in a container with drain holes and some good soil... get them going... they are pretty fast. Hope this helps! Best of luck!
18 Mar 22, Gina (USA - Zone 8a climate)
I planted my cucumber plants 3-4inch apart in about a15 inch space. At the end of a elevated garden. I took hog or pig wire made a arch off the end of the bed. Trained the plants to climb up and dow the arch. The wire was so spaced I could put the cucumber in the holes in the wire to support the vegetable. It loved it
23 Feb 22, Christine C (USA - Zone 7b climate)
My garden area isn't super big - how far away/close can my cucumber and tomato plants be?
14 Jun 23, Cecil D. (USA - Zone 5b climate)
I grow in raised beds and have no problems w/ tomatoes in a bed next to the cukes. As long as you don't plant nearby in the same container or soil you should be perfectly fine.
27 Feb 22, Anonymous (USA - Zone 4a climate)
Probably 3-4 meters.
09 Jan 22, Trina Richmond (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I live on the Gold Coast, and have been growing mad hatter capsicum successfully for about three years now, and grape/cherry tomatoes about the same but not very much fruit. This year I planted continental cucumbers. The plant grew very large in about two weeks, (5 foot+), and the leaves are huge, but I have only had 4 fruits and the leaves are being eaten so badly that they look like a very thin, worn out, see through piece of material. This past month for some reason every capsicum, yellow, green and mad hatter, all produced rotten fruit, and I ripped out the plants, except the cucumber. What has caused this? I may have over fertilised.. Also all plants are producing a lot of yellow leaves, especially the tomatoes.
12 Jan 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
I forgot to mention: as part of my previous reply; that the insects are eating your plant because it is stressed. That is, insects USUALLY attack/eat plants that are NOT healthy..... plants that are deteriorating are easily digestible. It's part of the natural process; the insects help breakdown a plant that is dying, rather than the insects killing the plant. So focusing on the insects may again, be misleading. Clearly, if you're trying to save the plant, you will need to get rid of the insects....but in MOST cases the insects are not the root cause of your issue.
17 Jan 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I generally have very healthy plants and I can tell you the insects don't wait until they are stressed. Recently very healthy egg plant and now the leaves have been decimated by something eating the leaves.
Showing 31 - 40 of 495 comments

I have 3 lebanise cucumber plants, all growing well and producing nice sized staight cucumbers. Then all three plants produced cucumbers that are curled, fat at the end and narrow towards the stem. Any ideas????

- Graeme

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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. GardenGrow 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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