How to grow cucumbers

Frost-tender · Squash family

When to sow and plant

Sow outdoors 6–20 May
Plant out 20–27 May

Frost-tender: everything 17 days later, so it only goes outside once there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years.

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

Sow outdoors: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (University of Maryland Extension: Growing Cucumbers in a Home Garden)
Plant out: 2–3 weeks after the last frost (Cornell Garden-Based Learning: Indoor Vegetable Seed Starting (Factsheet, 2015))

Good and bad neighbours

Good neighbours · 3

SweetcornExpert rule· C
Small pickling cucumbers can climb the corn, saving space.
C: Expert rule with a reason
Sweetcorn
Bush bean, Pole beanExpert rule· C
Beans fix nitrogen, but it is only released once their roots rot in the soil.
C: Expert rule with a reason
Bush bean Pole bean
Butterhead lettuceExpert rule· C
Cucumbers only go in mid-May; until then, and along the edge, there is room for lettuce.
C: Expert rule with a reason
Butterhead lettuce

Disputed · 1

RadishDisputed· X
BUND lists radishes as bad cucumber neighbours; the Rhineland-Palatinate garden academy plants them next to cucumbers.
X: Sources disagree
Radish

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 3

Florence fennelLore: good· D
Traditional advice, not tested.
D: Tradition, named by at least two sources
Florence fennel
OnionLore: good· D
Traditional advice, not tested.
D: Tradition, named by at least two sources
Onion
DillLore: good· D
Considered a good pair; dill attracts hoverflies. A benefit for cucumbers has not been tested.
D: Tradition, named by at least two sources
Dill

Crop rotation

After the squash family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years).

The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.
Heavy feeders two years in a row on the same bed are not a mistake, but they take more out of the soil.

At a glance

Family: Squash family (Cucurbitaceae)
Nutrient needs: Heavy feeder
Frost: Tender to frost
Spacing (row × plant): – × 30 cm (– × 12 in)
Per square foot (30 × 30 cm): 2 plants
Life cycle: Annual
Harvest: After 50–65 days from sowing

Spacing according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018). Other sources: 122 × 61 cm (48 × 24 in) (USU Extension: How to Grow Cucumber in Your Garden).

Questions and answers

When can I plant out cucumbers?

Plant out, average for Germany: 20–27 May. That is the date after which there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant cucumbers?

– × 30 cm (– × 12 in) (row × plant), according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018).

What grows well next to cucumbers?

Sweetcorn: Good neighbour (C), Bush bean, Pole bean: Good neighbour (C), Butterhead lettuce: Good neighbour (C), Radish: Disputed (X) and Florence fennel: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D).

How long a break do cucumbers need in the same bed?

After the squash family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

Sources

Show 14 sources

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.