Heat or water stress. Water consistently; harvest young.

Flowers but no cucumbers

Only male flowers early on, or poor pollination. Be patient; attract bees or hand-pollinate.

White powder on leaves

Powdery mildew. Improve airflow, water at the base, choose resistant varieties.

Cucumber beetles / bacterial wilt. Control beetles early; remove infected plants.

Gardening

A fast, thirsty vine that loves heat and a trellis. Pick often and it keeps coming.

The free tool tailors timing to your climate and lets you save this plant.

Sun

Full sun

Hardiness zones

Zones 4–11

Spacing

12 in apart on a trellis, or 18–36 in for bush types.

Soil

Rich, well-draining soil with compost; pH 6.0–7.0.

Watering

Lots of consistent water, 1–2 in/week. Drought makes bitter, misshapen fruit.

Plant / sow (typical)

May – Jun

Harvest (typical)

Jul – Sep

Starting

Direct sow after frost in warm soil, or start a few weeks early in pots. Trellising saves space and keeps fruit clean.

Companions

Good with Bean, Corn, Radish, Nasturtium, Dill. Keep apart from Potato, Sage, Aromatic herbs.

Bitter fruit. Heat or water stress. Water consistently; harvest young.
Flowers but no cucumbers. Only male flowers early on, or poor pollination. Be patient; attract bees or hand-pollinate.
White powder on leaves. Powdery mildew. Improve airflow, water at the base, choose resistant varieties.
Sudden wilting. Cucumber beetles / bacterial wilt. Control beetles early; remove infected plants.