Growing Cucumber

cucumis sativis : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S             S S S S S
T T             T T T T
P               P P P P

(Best months for growing Cucumber in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed

September: Bring on in pots

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes

Your comments and tips

17 Feb 14, joe graham (Australia - temperate climate)
my cucumber is growing like crazy on a 3 meter trellis and on wood chip around fence line. there are dozens of male flowers open in the last week to 10 days but no female flowers. there seems to be a female flower next to each male flower but none of them look like opening. any idea what im doing wrong i have fordork giant silverbeet growing in same bed and this is not very green..
15 Feb 14, Glenn (Australia - temperate climate)
Cucumbers respond very well to Osmocote
03 Feb 14, Carole (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I plant my cucumber seed in the ground and have had no luck at all this year. They pop up nicely and then disappear. It's not snails or slugs, I think it's Rosellas. I've planted seed four times so far and three plants survive. It's now too late to plant again here as they won't fruit before the first frosts.
26 Jan 14, Pete willson (Australia - arid climate)
What ph level do cucumber like
03 Jan 14, Wendy Forsyth (Australia - temperate climate)
Great advice on here- much appreciated!!
14 Dec 13, Sue Askevold (Australia - temperate climate)
I have fertilizer, good compost and every time I put cucumber plants in this year they wilt and die in 24 hours, they have water. Why????
02 Feb 14, Angus (Australia - temperate climate)
Try using some Seasol to prevent transplantation shock.
14 Dec 13, miss joy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have planted two to three punnets of Crystal cucumbers into garden bed. all good until vines seemed to multiply??? Perhaps stray pumpkin vines have self sown as well. Hard to tell which is which and I would like to thin out some of the vines to allow tomatoes' a fair go. any hints on how to tell the difference between crystal cucumbers and pumpkins??? some vines are long and rangy with twisted creeper/feelers.
10 Dec 13, Elizabeth (Australia - temperate climate)
It's the second time I'm growing pickle cucumber , but I don't what happened this year, the leaves are yellow, cucumbers are yellow. Don't know what to do :(
01 Nov 13, Darby (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Same here, millions of them all around and in my containers of potatos. I have poured boiling water all around the pavers and set the containers off the ground on cutoffs of an old wooden trellis. It has helped and now I am setting down some 'ant rid' which I hope will eradicate any more nests.Keeping the soil moist is good too, ants don't like it wet.
Showing 231 - 240 of 387 comments

Hi i planted cucumbers few times this season and all the seedling have died again and again. Never had that problem in past. It was very hot recently in melbourne aus. Any thoughts???

- Param

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.