🥒
Cucumber
Straight Eight
CucurbitsDirect SowTransplant
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
Every 3 days
🌱
Germination
7 days
🕐
Days to harvest
58 days
📏
Planting depth
0.5 inches deep
↔️
Row spacing
36 inches
When to Plant
Direct sow after last frost
Growing Guide
Soil: rich, warm · pH 6.0–7.0
Cucumbers need warm, rich, well-drained soil. Work in 3–4 inches of compost and a slow-release fertilizer. Mound soil into hills 12 inches high to improve drainage and heat retention — cucumbers love warmth.
- Start indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost (don't start earlier — cucumbers hate being rootbound)
- Transplant into warm soil (at least 65°F) after last frost
- Grow on a trellis to save space, improve air circulation, and produce straighter fruits
- Mulch heavily to retain soil warmth and moisture
- Cucumbers are heavy drinkers — consistent watering is essential; water stress causes bitter fruits
Care
💧 Water every 3 days
🌿 Fertilize every 14 days
📐 Spacing: 12 inches apart · 36 inches between rows
Harvest & Storage
Ready in 58 days with a harvest window of 21 days.
- Harvest when 6–8 inches long — Straight Eight at this size has the best flavor and texture
- Do not let cucumbers yellow or over-ripen on the vine — it signals the plant to stop flowering
- Harvest every 2–3 days at peak season
- Use scissors or a sharp knife rather than pulling to avoid damaging the vine
Storage
Store at room temperature for 1–2 days or refrigerate wrapped in a paper towel for up to 1 week. Do not store near tomatoes or bananas — ethylene gas causes yellowing.
Companion Planting
Grows well with:
beanpearadish
Keep away from:
potatoaromatic herbs
Essential Tools
- Trellis or vertical support
- Scissors (harvesting without damaging vines)
- Floating row cover (early season warmth)
Pests & Diseases
- Cucumber beetles (striped and spotted): feeding on leaves and transmitting bacterial wilt — use row covers until flowering; yellow sticky traps
- Powdery mildew: white powder coating leaves in mid-late summer — normal late-season issue; plant a second succession in June for fresh vines in August
- Angular leaf spot: water-soaked angular lesions — caused by bacterial infection in wet weather; improve spacing