Garden Cucumbers Cucumis sativus
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KOO-koo-mis sa-TEE-vus
- Description
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Cucumbers are an annual vine and common vegetable grown for its crisp, green fruit. It's most well known for its use in salads and pickling. Its vining nature lends itself to vertical spaces and, if given proper soil and water, can be an incredibly prolific addition to your vegetable garden.
Cucumbers grow best in full sun and moist, rich, well-drained soil. It prefers a slightly acidic pH, 6.0-6.5. Cucumbers have high water needs and require consistent moisture for proper growth, but they need a soil with proper drainage as well. Keep the leaves dry while watering to prevent fungal diseases. Vertically-grown plants may need more watering as they lose moisture more easily.
Begin planting cucumbers well after the last frost date– they are damaged by frost and need warm soil temperatures to germinate and grow. Black plastic mulch can help to warm the soil and allow earlier planting. Plants can be direct-seeded or started indoors 3-6 weeks before transplanting or less than 4 weeks before the last frost date; be careful to avoid damaging the plant's taproot. If putting in transplant pots, sow seeds 3/4 to 1 in deep, and if direct seeding, plant seeds 1-1.5 in deep. Space plants as close as 12-16 in apart. Cucumbers can be grown in containers of a minimum size of 1 gal and 8 in depth. Cucumbers can be grown vertically on a trellis or even a wire fence– this helps to increase air circulation, prevent diseases, and grow straighter fruits.
Cucumbers can be harvested green once they reach preferred size– however, cucumbers that have turned yellow are over-ripe and will be tough and difficult to eat. Poor pollination may lead to misshapen fruit. To pick, cut the stem attaching the fruit to the vine with a sharp, clean knife or clippers. Harvest often to spur further fruit production.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Vegetable Garden- Raised Beds Vegetable Garden- Containers Vegetable No-Till Garden Vegetable Garden and Pollinator Plants
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Gele Tros'
- 'Gele Tros'
- 'Gele Tros'
- Tags:




- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Gele Tros'
- 'Gele Tros'
- 'Gele Tros'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cucumis
- Species:
- sativus
- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Himalaya to Northern Thailand
- Climbing Method:
- Tendrils
- Edibility:
- Fruits are commonly eaten raw or pickled. Fresh cucumbers last in the fridge for about a week.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Edible
- Vegetable
- Vine
- Habit/Form:
- Climbing
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Tendrils
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The "vegetable" is botanically a fruit– it is a pepo, a berry with a hard rind. Long and cylindrical, starting out prickly when young and smoothing out to a bumpy surface as it matures. Length and girth can vary based on cultivar and culinary purpose but grow at least 3 in long. Some varieties are bred to be seedless.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Yellow five-petaled flowers. Male and female flowers grow separately on the same plant. Multiple plants are required for successful pollination with the exception of seedless varieties. Some varieties have only female flowers and need a traditionally-flowering plant for pollination.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Orbicular
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Large, hairy, triangular leaves with 3-5 lobes, deep wrinkles, and serrated margins borne on long petioles.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Vining stems covered in hairs.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Vertical Spaces
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heat