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Vegetable

Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

A quick summer vine that gives a glut of fruit in Adelaide's warm months. Grow it up a trellis to save space and keep fruit clean. Steady water is the key: dry or stressed plants give bitter, misshapen fruit.

When to plant where you live

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Planting times for other areas

Varieties (4)

  • Apple cucumberRound, pale and mild; very productive and copes with heat
  • LebaneseThin-skinned, sweet and prolific; picked small; the most popular home type
  • Mini/snacking typesCompact vines for pots and small spaces
  • Telegraph (English)Long, smooth fruit with few seeds; best on a trellis

Neighbours

Grows well with

Keep away from

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    40 cm apart, seed 20 mm deep. Full sun.

  2. Water

    Consistent water; bitterness follows dry spells.

  3. Feed

    Compost and liquid feed fortnightly.

  4. Pick, from about 9 weeks

    Pick young and often.

Good to know

  • Pick every day or two at peak; overgrown fruit slows the vine
  • Sow two batches four weeks apart for a longer season
  • Mulch with straw to keep fruit clean and soil moist

Common problems

  • Powdery mildewwater at the base, trellis for airflow, remove badly affected leaves; milk spray or a registered product following label directions
  • Bitter fruitkeep watering steady and mulch; discard any very bitter fruit
  • Poor fruit setattract bees with flowers nearby, or hand pollinate with a soft brush
  • Fruit fly and pumpkin beetlepick fruit regularly, hand pick beetles early in the morning

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about cucumberAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing cucumberQuestions, tips and harvests from the community
Where this information comes from

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.