Crops › Cucumber
How to grow Cucumber
in the UK
Sow April to June, plant out July, harvest July to October. About 60 days from seed to plate.
There's nothing quite like a proper fresh cucumber straight from your own plot, still warm from the sun or cool from the greenhouse. They're a cracking summer crop, a bit on the tricky side to start with, to be honest, but well worth the effort for the taste.
Sowing
You'll want to get your cucumber seeds started indoors from April right through to June, depending on your variety. Sow them on their side, about 1-2 cm deep, in small pots or modules filled with good seed compost. They need warmth to get going, at least 15°C, so a propagator or a warm windowsill is ideal. For outdoors varieties, you can sow direct from late May once all risk of frost has well and truly passed, but starting them off inside gives them a proper head start, you know what I mean. Just one seed per pot should do it.
Growing on
Once your seedlings have a couple of true leaves, they'll be ready to pot on if they're getting a bit cramped. If you bought plug plants, they'll be ready for a slightly bigger pot too. For outdoor types, you'll need to harden them off properly for a week or two before planting them out after the last frost, which is usually mid to late May up here in the North East. Greenhouse types go straight into their final spot, either in grow bags or big pots, or even directly into the greenhouse border. Give them plenty of space, about 60-90 cm between plants.
Looking after it
Cucumbers are thirsty plants, especially when they're fruiting, so keep them well watered, particularly in warm weather. Once you see those first little fruits forming, start feeding them weekly with a high-potash liquid feed, like a tomato feed. Greenhouse types will need training up supports or canes, so they don't sprawl everywhere. Keep an eye on them daily.
What goes wrong
The main things to watch out for are aphids, red spider mite, and whitefly, especially in the greenhouse where it's warm and dry. Keep the air moving, and mist regularly to deter mites. Sometimes you'll see plants getting a bit mottled, that could be cucumber mosaic virus, and there's not much you can do for that, to be honest, just pull the plant.
Harvest
You're looking at about 60 days from sowing to harvest, so from July right through to October, you should be picking. Pick them young and often, before they get too big and tough, or yellow. Just snip them off with a sharp knife or secateurs. They're best eaten fresh, straight off the vine, but if you've got a bit of a glut, they'll keep in the fridge for up to a week.
I always try to plant a few outdoor types, even if I've got a greenhouse, just in case the weather's a bit rubbish and the greenhouse ones struggle; gives you a bit of backup, you know.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Carmen F1 This is a top-notch greenhouse cucumber, producing loads of smooth, lovely fruit. If you've got the space and warmth, it'll give you a cracking harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Bella F1 A fantastic all-female variety for the greenhouse, meaning you'll get loads of fruit without any fuss. It's known for being completely non-bitter, which is always a bonus. | No club votes yet |
| Telegraph Improved This is a proper classic, the one everyone thinks of when you say "cucumber". It produces long, straight fruits, perfect for slicing. | No club votes yet |
| Passandra F1 If you like your cucumbers small and perfectly formed, this mini variety is a great choice for the greenhouse. Kids love them for snacking, too. | No club votes yet |
| Masterpiece A really reliable outdoor ridge cucumber that just keeps on producing, even in our changeable British weather. It's a great choice if you're new to growing outside. | No club votes yet |
| Marketmore This is a cracking outdoor variety known for its resistance to common cucumber diseases. If you've had problems before, Marketmore might be the answer on your plot. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Bush Champion F1 Perfect for small gardens or balconies, this bush type grows compactly and doesn't sprawl all over the place. You can grow it in a big pot or grow bag without any bother. | No club votes yet |
| Crystal Apple A really interesting heritage variety that produces round, pale yellow fruits, a bit like an apple. It's got a lovely mild flavour and is a real talking point on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| La Diva F1 This one gives you smooth-skinned, mini cucumbers, but it's happy growing outside on the plot. Great for a quick snack or adding to salads. | No club votes yet |
| Burpless Tasty Green F1 A good long outdoor cucumber that's known for being easy to digest, so no "burps" after eating. It's a proper vigorous plant and gives a good crop. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Cucino F1 Another cracking mini cucumber, perfect for snacking straight off the vine in the greenhouse. It's a high-yielding plant, so you'll get plenty of them. | No club votes yet |
| Vorgebirgstrauben If you're into pickling, this German gherkin is a fantastic choice, producing lots of small, crunchy fruits. It's happy growing outside and gives a great yield for preserving. | No club votes yet |
| Diamant F1 This variety gives you small, uniform cucumbers that are just perfect for pickling. It's an outdoor type, so it's quite hardy on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Cornichon de Paris A classic French gherkin, ideal for making your own cornichons at home. It's a reliable outdoor grower and produces plenty of small fruits. | No club votes yet |
| National Pickling This is a traditional American variety, bred specifically for pickling, and it does a cracking job. It's robust and productive for outdoor growing. | No club votes yet |
| Lemon Cucumber Similar to Crystal Apple, this heritage cucumber looks just like a lemon, but it's sweet and mild, not tart at all. A real novelty for salads and a bit of fun. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Cucumber seeds
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Cook the harvest
This is a salad that tastes exactly like a hot August afternoon. The cucumber and watermelon share a clean, watery sweetness that pairs brilliantly with salty crumbled feta and the faint anise note of nigella seeds. It comes together in minutes and is genuinely one of the best things you can make with a garden glut of cucumbers.
15 min · easyThis is one of those dishes that is far more than the sum of its parts. Cucumber is cut into thin noodle-like strips, then drenched in a tongue-tingling sauce of chilli oil, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper and black vinegar. It is fast, fiercely flavoured, and genuinely addictive — the cucumber stays crisp and cool against the heat of the sauce.
25 min · easyThis is the cucumber salad that converts people who think they don't like cucumber salad. Smashing the cucumbers rather than slicing them creates jagged surfaces that soak up the punchy sesame and chilli dressing like nothing else. It takes under twenty minutes, needs no cooking, and goes with almost anything you are putting on the table.
20 min · easySpiced lamb kofta hot off the grill, tucked into warm flatbreads with a generous amount of cucumber tzatziki — this is proper weeknight food that feels like a treat. The cucumber does double duty here: grated into the yoghurt sauce in large quantities, it is the cooling, creamy element that makes the whole dish. Fresh, abundant and genuinely satisfying.
40 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: beans, peas, lettuce, dill
Questions people ask
When do you sow Cucumber in the UK?
Sow Cucumber from April to June. Plant out July, after the last frost.
How long does Cucumber take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 60 days, with the harvest July to October.
Which Cucumber varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Carmen F1, Bella F1, Telegraph Improved, Passandra F1 and more.
Track your Cucumber from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.