When can I plant cucumber outside?

Direct sow or transplant 2 weeks after your last spring frost.

How long until cucumber is ready to harvest?

50-70 days. Dark green, firm fruit picked before yellowing; size depends on variety (pick slicing at 6-8 inches)

When to Plant Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

vegetableZones 3–11beginner

Refreshing warm-season vine crop perfect for salads and pickling. Grows rapidly on trellises or along the ground. Requires consistent moisture for crisp fruit.

Planting calendar

Start seeds indoors

3 weeks before your last spring frost.

Direct sow / transplant

2 weeks after your last spring frost.

Direct sow preferred; succession plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest

Spacing & harvest

Plant spacing: 12-18 inches
Row spacing: 48-72 inches
Days to harvest: 50-70 days
Ready when: Dark green, firm fruit picked before yellowing; size depends on variety (pick slicing at 6-8 inches)

Companion planting

Plant near

Dill — Attracts beneficial predatory wasps
Lettuce — Provides living mulch that retains moisture
Radish — Repels cucumber beetles
Green Bean — Fixes nitrogen that cucumbers need

Keep away from

Sage — Aromatic oils can stunt cucumber growth
Potato — Competes for water and nutrients, increases blight risk

Get cucumber planting dates for your exact zone

Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.

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Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns