Gardeners Agree: This Is The Best Time To Plant Cucumbers For A Bountiful Harvest

Cucumbers (Cucumis stavius) are among the most common of all garden crops. Their deep green fruit has a crisp, refreshing taste that makes them a popular addition to salads, and certain varieties, like the kirby cucumber (Cucumis stavius 'Kirby'), are excellent for pickling. Yet, however you like your cucumbers, one of the most important things you need to make sure of is that you are planting them at the correct time of year. And gardeners agree that the best time of year to plant your cucumbers is in the late spring.

Understanding when to plant cucumbers, or any garden crop, is one of the gardening basics every beginner should know. The goal of plant timing is to match your cucumbers to their ideal ambient and soil temperatures. When timed correctly, you can expect healthier plants that will produce a greater yield later in the season. When it comes to growing cucumbers, it is vitally important that they do not get cold.

As gardener Jill McSheehy of The Beginner's Garden notes in her blog: "The plants and seeds do not like cool soil (under 65 degrees Fahrenheit). The plants also do not like it when the night time temperatures are in the 40s so watch the weather in the spring to see when the night temperatures are in the 50s and the daytime temperatures are in the 70s or above." For most, this won't occur until several weeks after their last frost date has passed. But what exactly does that mean?

Final frost dates are based on the average last frost in an area, and you can find out what yours is by using the USDA Climate Hubs tool. As an example, anyone starting a garden in Michigan will see the final frost dates hover between May 2 and May 27 depending on whether you live in a northern or southern county. Understanding these dates is vital when timing your cucumber planting.

Now, there are two ways to go about planting your cucumbers. McSheehy recommends direct sowing them into the ground to avoid any kind of transplant shock. However, unlike other vegetables, cucumbers don't suffer too much from transplant shock unless the soil is not warm enough yet. This is what fellow gardener Sara Rubens of Seeds to Sanctuary says: "You can start seeds indoors about three to four weeks before your last expected frost and transplant them once outdoor conditions are warm enough" (via The Spruce). Keeping with the Michigan example, that would mean planting seeds in March or April. 

Once your cucumbers are actually planted in the ground, make sure they get plenty of water and sunlight. If you've got limited space, you can grow bush or dwarf varieties of cucumbers in hanging baskets or trellised pots on a patio.