Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
A vegetable, sown in April.
In September: cut the cucumbers and take the male flowers off a greenhouse cucumber.
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Cucumber, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | none | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none |
| Cover the cucumber with a cloche or fleece. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Take the male flowers off the cucumber (greenhouse plants only). | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut the cucumbers. | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover in April, 1 to 2cm deep. Strong source: RHS.
Cover the cucumber with a cloche or fleece
Cover the ground after sowing outdoors, to warm the soil.
Usually May to June. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
Take the male flowers off the cucumber
For greenhouse plants only.
On all-female greenhouse kinds, pick off any flower with no tiny fruit behind it, or fruit may taste bitter.
Usually May to September. Strong source: RHS.
Cut the cucumbers
Usually July to October. Strong source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
What not to do
Don’t take the male flowers off outdoor cucumbers
Outdoor or ridge cultivars: do not remove male flowers. The RHS says outdoor varieties produce both male and female flowers and the females need pollinating to produce fruit at all. Removing males on a ridge cucumber destroys the crop.
May to September. Strong source: RHS.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Cucumber” comes from.