It is essential to know when cucumbers are ready to pick, to avoid hard, under-ripe or mushy, bitter, over-ripe fruit.
Anyone growing cucumbers will be keenly anticipating harvest. Whether looking to add cucumbers to your salads, dip them in hummus or add to a summer glass of Pimms, harvest time can't come soon enough – but get it wrong and you'll ruin that longed-for summer treat.
'Cucumbers are a wonderfully rewarding crop, and knowing when to harvest them is the key to enjoying them at their best. The main indicators that your cucumbers are ready for harvest are size, colour and firmness,' says horticultural experts from Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
Signs your cucumbers are ready to pick
Wondering when to harvest cucumbers? These three cues will tell you when cucumbers are ready to pick and when you just need to have a little more patience. They apply to all cucumbers, whether you have grown them in the ground, planted cucumbers in a pot or have grown cucumbers vertically.
'Cucumbers usually start coming in from mid-July through August. Some types will keep producing right up until early autumn or even the first frost, so keep an eye out!' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
'Greenhouse-grown cucumbers may mature a little earlier due to the warmer conditions and can be planted as early as February,' adds horticultural experts from Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
1. Measure the size
Size is a good indicator of when cucumbers are ready to pick.
'Most slicing cucumbers are just right when they reach about 6 to 8 inches long, about the length of a standard ruler,' explains Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.
'For pickling varieties, the ideal size is typically smaller, between two to four inches, depending on the type of cucumber. Smaller cucumbers are often sweeter and crunchier, so it’s better to pick these early than too late. Regular harvesting is the secret to a long, productive cucumber season,' adds horticultural experts from Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
2. Check their colour
Cucumbers are ready to pick when they are a deep green colour – like the ones you see in the supermarket – with a shine to their skin. The entire length of the cucumber should be this rich dark colour.
Pale green shades indicate that the cucumbers need a little more time to ripen.
'Avoid letting the cucumbers turn yellow or grow too large, as this often means they’ve become overripe and will taste bitter,' says horticultural experts from Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
The exception to this rule is Lemon cucumbers – seeds available from Amazon –which are ripe when they are a pale yellow or lemon colour.
3. Squeeze them
If it's your first time starting a small vegetable garden, then touch is always a reliable way to figure out when to harvest cucumbers.
'Give them a gentle squeeze, and they should feel firm,' says Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres. For comparison, cucumbers will be ready to harvest when they feel as firm as the cucumbers that you buy from the supermarket.
How to harvest cucumbers
Along with knowing when cucumbers are ready to pick, it is important that you know how to harvest cucumbers.
When harvesting cucumbers, you should always cut the fruit from the vine using scissors or secateurs – like these Spear & Jackson secateurs from Amazon – rather than pulling them.
'Snip the stem about a half centimetre above the fruit. Try not to twist or pull them off, since that can hurt the plant,' says Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.
'We’d recommend regular picking every couple of days during peak season to encourage continuous fruiting and help prevent any from becoming oversized,' advise horticultural experts from Cherry Lane Garden Centres. Be sure to check under leaves and every side of the pot to make sure you don't miss any cucumbers hidden under leaves.
'For the crispest cucumbers, harvest them in the morning while the air is still cool,' adds Julian.
How long after planting do cucumbers take to harvest?
'From the moment your cucumber seeds sprout, you’re looking at about 50 to 70 days, roughly two months, until they’re ready,' explains Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.
Where to buy cucumbers
Many gardeners like to plant their own cucumber seeds in February – like these available to buy from Crocus. However, if you have passed the seed planting window – usually between February and May – then you can buy established plants and still harvest cucumbers in late summer.
- Grafted Cucumber Plant 'Passandra' from Marshalls
- Cucumber 'Marketmore' from Gardening Express
- Cucumber 'Deli Star' on Amazon
- Cucumber 'Femspot' from B&Q
Nothing beats adding a slice of homegrown cucumber into a refreshing glass of ice cold Pimms in summer.
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