Growing cucumbers

Cucumbers can be allowed to grow on the ground, but for longer, straighter fruit and to save garden space, grow them in a cage or on a trellis, allowing 1 foot between plants, and keep the fruits picked promptly.
Cucumbers like warmth and are very sensitive to cold, so planting in raised beds or large containers is beneficial (warm roots) and of course like most vegetables they need lots of sun. They enjoy soil temperatures of 65 to 90 deg. F.
For vining types of cucumbers, If you use a support, it should be 4 to 6 feet high. Bush varieties do not need support.
Before planting, add some general purpose fertilizer and some compost to the soil.
Regular fertilizing (every 2 or 3 weeks with organic liquid fertilizer) will increase vigor and production of fruits.
Keep cucumbers well watered. They need consistent, even watering for best growth and for the fruit to develop properly.
Regular prompt picking and growing the vines on a trellis or in a cage will increase yields, as well as growing them in raised beds or large pots (for root warmth).
Keep the fruits picked promptly. Cucumbers can be harvested at different sizes, depending on the variety. See variety descriptions below for a guide.
PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
You can do one of the following:
1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
-OR (as I do)-
2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

(Descriptions and photos are from the seed company websites unless otherwise noted.)

Margarita

Exclusive! Classic shape, modern color.

Japanese-type cucumber in bright, eye-catching lime-green. Excellent eating quality—crisp texture and sweet, lemony flavor with no bitterness. A farm crew favorite every year for its flavor, uniformity, and distinctive appearance. Very small seed cavity. Best harvested at 8–12". (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Gimlet

Exclusive! Lime green snacker.

Early multi-fruiting cocktail cuke with very high yields and short vines. Attractive, uniform fruit with distinctive bright green color and a sweetness uncommon in snack types. Harvest at 4–4 1/2”. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Cool Customer

Improved pickler selected for organic growers.

A rugged organic pickler that produces uniform yields of attractive, blocky fruits with small seed cavities and exceptional crunch and flavor. Vigorous plants produce 4–5" fruits over a long harvest period and are tough enough to withstand the pressures of organic growing conditions. Resilient vines hold up to late-season stress and disease much longer than many similar varieties. Bred by the late Dr. John Navazio at Johnny's. USDA Certified Organic. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Quick Snack

The newest addition to the Kitchen Minis™ Collection, Quick Snack Cucumber produces an abundance of small cocktail size fruit, great for snacking and salads. And the best part, you don't need a garden to grow these cukes! Plants are perfect for container growing on your patio, balcony, or even your kitchen countertop. All they need is plenty of sunlight and water to produce an abundance of fruit, which is best picked at 1 ½ to 2 inches long. Plants also benefit from being trellised to keep upright and should be pinched when plants reach the top of the trellis.

Quick Snack Hybrid is a parthenocarpic variety, which means it will set fruit without a pollinator. If grown alone, the fruit will be seedless. If grown next to other cucumbers with male flowers, then the fruits may contain small seeds. Plants can be grown year round inside if provided with plenty of sunlight and a warm location. For a continual year-round harvest, succession plant every two weeks.

The Kitchen Minis™ Collection was developed specifically for containers and small spaces. The collection has won numerous awards, including Retailer's Choice Award and was awarded with a Medal of Excellence Award by Greenhouse Grower magazine. Park Seed offers a range of Kitchen Minis™ to complete your container or small space garden! (Park Seed)

Martini

This outstanding blonde slicing cucumber is the toast of the town and makes a great all-around addition to any garden. Best when 5-6 inches long, Martini has a sweet, bright flavor from baby size up to 9 inches. Its flesh has a great juicy crunch with very few small seeds. Its smooth, white skin makes the fruit easy to spot at harvest and earns lots of compliments at the table. Plants are staggeringly prolific when picked regularly. F1 hybrid.(Territorial Seed)

One of my sisters gave me a basket of vegetables from her local farmer’s market in 2023 which included ‘Martini’. It was the best tasting slicing cucumber I’ve ever enjoyed! This year I’m wondering if ‘Margarita’ will be the taste winner.

Review from Territorial Seed customer:

Delicious and productive

I was pleasantly surprised by Martini! It produced loads of very light green cucumbers with a delicate, sweet taste. Martini swamped us and I was giving it away to anyone who would take them. Production slowed after 8 weeks, so I fertilized it heavily and it took off again. I will definitely be planting it again.

Baby

Grow to full size if desired, baby cukes in under 2 months from seed. Baby is a gourmet delight, ready in just over a month to harvest as mini cukes at just 3 inches, yet also delicious when grown to full size. Tender and succulent, with glossy dark green skin and a good solids-to-juice ratio. They're the perfect little bite. You can also extend your harvest, continuing to grow Baby past the baby stage and to its full size of about 6 to 6½ inches and 10 to 11 ounces. It loses none of its flavor or texture as it matures. F1 hybrid. (Park Seed) NOTE: Limited quantity as this is leftover seed from last year.

Patio Snacker

Small but mighty compact vine with continuous harvest.
50 to 55 days from seed. The Patio Snacker Cucumber was created with the small space gardener in mind. These Patio Snacker Cucumber seeds produce vigorous yet compact plants that work well in containers or smaller garden spaces. If you are looking for a terrific cucumber to grow on your deck or balcony, Patio Snacker Cucumber is the one for you.

Harvest the dark green fruits when they are 6 to 7 inches long and enjoy a crunchy and flavorful treat with Patio Snacker Cucumbers. Keep the plants picked and they will yield a continuous harvest all season long. (Park Seed)
NOTE: Limited quantity as this is leftover seed from last year.

Max Pack

Broadest disease resistance package. Huge yields of very uniform and attractive 4 1/2" picklers borne on vigorous vines. Resists bitterness under stress. A small seed cavity, dense flesh, and sweet flavor make for perfect pickles. Sustained yield over a full season. High resistance to anthracnose, scab, watermelon mosaic virus, and zucchini yellow mosaic virus; intermediate resistance to angular leaf spot, cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew, and papaya ringspot virus. F1 hybrid. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) NOTE: Limited quantity as this is leftover seed from last year.