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The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

469 - Cucumbers: How to Choose, Plant, and Harvest All Season Long

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Jill McSheehy

How To, Education, Home & Garden, Leisure

4.7 • 830 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Struggling to grow healthy cucumbers that actually produce? You're not alone—cucumbers can be tricky if you don't get a few key things right.
In this episode, you'll learn how to grow cucumbers successfully with simple, practical tips you can use right away.
Whether you're growing in raised beds, containers, or small spaces, this will help you get a better harvest.

Cucumbers are one of the most rewarding crops to grow, but they can also be frustrating when plants struggle, stop producing, or take over your space. In this episode, I walk you through what's worked in my garden when it comes to growing cucumbers—from choosing where to plant them to keeping them productive all season long. I also share how vertical growing methods, including systems like GreenStalk, can help you manage space more efficiently.

Key Takeaways

  • Choose the right setup for healthy cucumber growth
  • Use vertical support to improve airflow and yield
  • Grow cucumbers successfully in small or large spaces
  • Keep plants productive with simple maintenance
  • Avoid common issues that limit harvest

Resource Links

Sponsor(s) for this Episode

GreenStalk Vertical Planter – A simple way to grow vertically and maximize your space, perfect for cucumbers and other vining crops in small areas.
Get $50 off all planters during their sale through May 11th, plus use code JILL10 for $10 off a $75 purchase.
👉 https://journeywithjill.net/greenstalk

Garden in Minutes – An easy-to-install watering system that helps you keep your cucumber plants consistently watered without the hassle.
Use code Jill for 7% off your order.
👉 http://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes

Disclaimer

Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance.

Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Right now, I am craving fresh cucumbers. I think this naturally happens to me every year when it's

0:05.9

been a while since I've had something from the garden and I just start to crave it more. You know what

0:10.4

I'm talking about? But for me, with cucumbers, I am ready to have them for my salads, but maybe you

0:17.2

want that too, or you have visions of jars of pickles lined up on your counter that you grew yourself.

0:24.5

But maybe you get to the garden center or you're scrolling through a seed catalog, and then you're staring at slicers and picklers and burpless types.

0:34.0

And then there's something called genesis, which I had to look up how to pronounce because

0:38.3

I was pronouncing it in my head all wrong it starts with a g and you're thinking I just want to

0:43.6

grow cucumbers how is all of this so complicated so you don't really know what type you should start

0:49.3

out with because a cucumber is a cucumber is a cucumber right well I mean, I mean, it can be, but there are differences.

0:56.1

Or maybe you choose the variety that you want and you finally get it in the ground and then

1:00.6

the vines are covered with beautiful yellow flowers, but then nothing is turning into an actual

1:06.5

cucumber. Or maybe you get some kind of a harvest and they stop all together. Or maybe last year's

1:13.2

harvest was disappointing because you just didn't get what you wanted. Maybe the cucumbers were

1:18.4

bitter. I have had that happen and is so disappointing. And here's the thing. Cucumbers are of the

1:25.1

most rewarding crops that you can grow, especially in the summer.

1:28.9

They're just amazing when it gets hot. But they do come with a learning curve. Today, my goal is to

1:35.6

help you skip past all of the confusion and maybe even answer some questions for you that you

1:40.8

didn't know to ask. We're going to be talking about how to choose the right type

1:45.1

for what you actually want to grow. And also we'll talk about what's happening with those flowers

1:50.2

and why you don't need to panic, how to grow a great crop, even if all you have is a container

1:56.0

or a greenstock, and how to keep that harvest coming all season long, not just two weeks in July.

2:04.5

But before we dive into the differences in varieties, because that's where I want to start.

...

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