# How and When To Pick Cucumbers



## [email protected]

Very helpful pics in your post - nice looking cucumbers, too  

The ones I'm growing seem to stay partially yellow, and are thicker and shorter (in other words, they don't really look like the cucumbers you buy in the store). They're Mincu, and are dual purpose (dills when small and regular cukes when large). It's possible I'm not leaving them long enough, but they just don't seem to grow the way you'd expect. This is my first year with cucumbers so I'm still learning...


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## Tee

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for visiting Veggie Gardener and for commenting. Luckily my cucumbers looked good when I took the pictures, but they didn't stay that way much longer. I had a terrible fight with powdery mildew, and then cucumber beetles. By the end of July my cucumbers were pretty much history. Next season I will definitely take more measures to hopefully control those issues.

I based this How-to on the cucumbers I was growing at the time which were Marketmore 76 and Straight Eights. I did not include what to look for in other varieties, such as the Armenian types or some of the Japanese types. These are very different looking compared to a "regular" cucumber. 

I would say that if the cucumbers you are growing taste good, and seem to be producing well, then keep doing what you are doing. Cucumbers can become bitter if left on the vine too long, so be sure to keep monitoring them. Sometimes it takes a bit of trail and error to see what works best for you.

Thank you for commenting!

Tee


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## Maria_Haugen

Hello! Having zero experience growing anything, I just planted four Regular cucumber plants. To my delight they just exploded with yellow blossoms and badly needed every single word of the information above, therefore THANK YOU so much for your detailed descriptions of exactly what to do! Truly appreciated !!


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## Melissa1

Thank you so much for posting this information! It was very helpful in determining when to harvest my very first batch of cucumbers. I picked one that I thought was ready as it was starting to yellow on the ends, but it didn't taste quite right. Now I have plenty of large cucumbers growing off of 4 individual plants. Time for test cucumber #2!!


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## lennet_russe

thank u very uch for the inforation this was exacaly wat i was looking for now if u exuse e i need to googel how do u spell exacaly... XD 

thank u


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## Joe_Peezy

The perfect page to answer my questions about when to pick cucumbers. *A+*, will read again. This is my first year that cucumbers have actually grown in my garden, so I'm too pumped to pick them.


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## Amber

Hey there! Thanks so much for posting, I really needed it! It's my first time growing cucumbers EVER so I really wasn't sure about anything! I started with one plant and it is huge! You gave just the right info that I need. Now I'm teaching my family how to grow them too! You've made my garden a center of family fun, and thank you sooooo much! You are great!


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## Kendall_Lawrence

This was a very interesting, and helpful article.


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## Victor1

Melissa,

I also have a cucumber that is starting to turn yellow at the end, now you talked about your case with a yellowish cucumber should I pick it up now or let it sit in the vine longer?


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## Kim4

Hello Tee,

I have marketmore cucumbers growing very well but this partiuclar one is huge, its easily 4" around and has some yellow striping, firm but I am not sure if I should pick it yet, please help me, this is the first time I have ever seen this before?

Thanks


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## Michelle

This is the first time I've ever grown my own garden. I did not know to use a trellis for my cucumbers and they are vineing everywhere. They are producing cucmbers, however, they are yellow and orange in color. I know I purchased green cucmbers. Do they change in color after a period of time or are they not getting enough sun because they're not on a trellis? They are a good size, but I am affraid to pick them because I'm not sure they are ready yet. They pictures you posted showed they should be green on the vine. I'm not really sure what to do with them right now. Any advice you have would be very helpful. Thank you, First time gardener.


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## Tee

Hi Kim - your cucumber sounds like it is probably over ripe. You should pick the Marketmore cucumbers when they are around 4 to 7 inches in length and about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter for the best taste. Once they become large and tart turning yellow, or white, they have gone beyond their peak.

It's always a good idea to pick cucumbers as early and often as possible. This helps prevent them from over ripening and ensures the best flavor. It will also help promote more flowering which leads to more production.

I hope this helps and good luck with your cucumbers!


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## Tee

Hi Michelle - a trellis is not completely necessary, but it helps keep the plants healthier and prevents the cucumbers from rotting when laying on the moist ground. As far as the color, generally a yellow or orange cucumber is the first sign that it is overripe. How large are the cucumbers?

They should be harvest when they are about 4 - 7 inches long and about 1 - 1-1/2 inches in diameter, depending on variety. If your cucumbers are larger than that try picking them when they are smaller.

If they are discolored even at a small size then the plant may have a disease of some type.


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## Maribel

Hi, 
My husband planted some cucumbers, where not sure exactly what type they are. The tag said regular green cucumbers like the ones from the grocery store, but these cucumbers are yellow and very big. He just picked one today and it is about 13 inches long and 3 inches wide and very yellow. When we cut it, it is very bitter if you don't cut around it. Are they ready yet or is he picking them to early. I know nothing about farming, please help! Thank You.


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## Tee

Hi Maribel - It sounds like you are not picking them soon enough and they are over ripe. That's why they are turning yellow and taste bitter. I would recommend picking the cucumbers once they get about 4 - 7 inches in length and about 1-1/2 - 2 inches in diameter and see how they look and taste. I think you will find that they are much better tasting.


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## Susan_L._Cobb

I am growing poinsett 76 variety. The picture on the seed packet shows nice long fairly normal looking cucumbers, however, mine are growing more like balls, and some have like a tail as if it got all fattened up too fast, got stunted and then didn't fill out the end. Should I leave them on the vine to fill out the tail, or in the case of the balls (like the size of a baseball/hardball) to elongate - they are green, and I have grown cucumbers before, so I am pretty sure they are ready to harvest even though they don't look shaped normal. We had a VERY wet spring, wettest in history, and then went into a month long also history making high high heat period. I do water plenty - but can't do anything about the day time heat temps. ANy ideas on why they seemed to grow into such funky shapes?


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## Lauren1

I'm growing cucumbers, and not using a trellis. there are a few that are growing while laying on the ground. Are these just as good as the ones that are growing in the air?


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## Tee

Hi Susan - it sounds like your cucumbers are growing deformed due to pollination issues. When you find some that are growing strangely it is best to go ahead and pick it. It isn't going to get any better. You can read more about what causes this to happen here - What Causes a Deformed Cucumber?


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## Tee

Hi Lauren - The cucumbers will not taste any different on the ground. The thing you have to watch for is that they will be more susceptible to rotting on the bottom side when laying on the ground. You will need to keep a close eye on them and harvest before they start rotting, especially during rainy periods.


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## Matt1

When do the prickles go? should i wait till they have gone before picking or do they just go once picked?
I have no knowledge of growing anything!!!


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## Harriet

My cucumbers had a tag with a regular dark green vegetable. But mine have been light green from start to finish. Is it possible my soil is lacking something that would change the color?


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## Tee

Hi Harriet - are any of the leaves on the plant turning yellow at the bottom, too? If so, it could be too much water that's causing the light green cucumbers. It could also be a case where the plant tag was accidentally switched or something at the garden center.


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## dor

When you wash the cucumber under water, you can rub off the prickles. They come off very easy this way.


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## Lee_Jones

What great advice, I built a lean too this year and have grown a regualr size cue and a mini cue plant. The mini I picked yesterday and tried, it was bigger than I thought and slightly bitter. The full size I picked today and it was pretty much perfect. Having read this tomorrow I will pick off two more minis while slightly smaller so not so bitter and maybe try picking a slightly smaller full size in a few days. If I can have more smaller ones then I will have a happy daughter who just wants to eat them off the plant. Many thanks for your help.


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## Rachael

My mother-in-law came to my house to watch my daughter while I went on vacation. She ask me if I wanted her to pick all of my ripe vegetables while I was away, sure I said. She picked ALL of my cucumbers before they were ready. They are very tart and I have no idea what to do with them. They were supposed to be pickling cucumbers so can I still do this? Should I just toss them all in the compost and put them under lock and key next year?


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## kim5

my cucumbers are ripe but do i cut off the prickles before i eat them because they are very prickly


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## Joel_Crow

I need help! My cikes look ripe but they are kinda squishy. I looked thru the cooments for an idea but I didnt see one. Please help... Thanks


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## kjnsweets

My husband and i planted our first cucumbers this year. They are about 10 inches long but they are olight green to white. i havent ever seen them a medium green to a dark green. The pricklies can be wiped off pretty easy. To me they dont look ripe. Any suggestions?


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## molly_joseph

Please Help,

I have really gotten into gardening this year and concerned about my cukes. I have 15 different kinds planted. Al are trellised up some are on a fence other either taught to run but anyway. My plants were in the ground may 5th today is June 6th, my smaller more unhealthy looking plants are covered in flowers ( male and female) with baby cukes to follow. My larger bonnie pickling cucumbers with a 80 day harvest, that look like an amazingly healthy plant with runners and nice big green leaves going up the trelis has no flowers. Am I doing something wrong or has it not been long enough.


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## Tammy1

Thanks for the great info Tee....this is the first time growing cucumbers...and so excited! They seem ready for picking, so just wanted to google to make sure & your page came up right away...so thanks again =}


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## Brittany

I have planted Boston Pickling cucumbers and all the ones i have picked taste bitter. I have tries picking them earlier but this does not seem to help. Is there anything I can do?


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## Renee4

If the cucumbers are too ripe to eat can you use those for seed for next year? If so what is the procedure for that?


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## Marissa

hi i have a cucmber plant. im not sure what is it i dont remeber... i picked one of the cucumbers today and it is a light green and whitish color. it is larger on the sides and smaller in the middle. is this normal? did i wait to long to pick it? this is my first time planting cucmubers. i need some help. it is also around 11 inches long.


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## Mary5

My Cucumber plants are not vines, they are planted in the ground and have huge leaves. They have these weird looking flowers on the ends of them. I am not sure if the stem of the flower is the cucumber. They look like miniature cucumbers... I am so confused, I have never had a veggie/ fruit garden before. :B


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## Mary5

Haha, never mind. I just found out that I have Zucchini, not cucumber.. Sorry xD


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## John_F

Hi, I avoid picking beans in the rain, should the same caution be used when picking cucumbers.....I think I can hear all of them growing and like to get to them before they get too big and we have had rain for two days.....

thanks.


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## Amy7

Very helpful, thank you!


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## sam2

bitter cucumber are usually caused by dry weather. cucumbers
are made up of a lot of water.


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## sam2

when planting cucumbers plant them in a hill and use cow manure ad compost. They like to be fed. I usually put in half a dozen seeds as you can thin them to three or four plants. need a lot of water during the gr owing
season or will be bitter. they should be smooth and well shaped and either
lite green or dark green depending on the type.


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## James5

Hi thankyou so much for your fantastic knowledge of the cucumber plants. You've described everything I needed to no and then some. This my first time growing them and amazed at the speed if them, at least inch a day. Looking forward to first crop but scared to early even tho it's 7/8" now. Thanks again


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## Joe3

Hi, I'm also fighting powdery mildew on my cucumbers. First time grower here. I had a pumpkin plant that quickly took over my garden and developed powdery mildew which spread to my cucumbers. I started cutting leaves off to try and stop it so the lower portion of my plants really have no leaves and the upper portion is almost covered in powdery mildew. I just harvested my first cucumber. My only concern was the mildew getting onto or growing into the cucumbers. I am unsure of there's any health concerns I should be aware of. 

I realize this is quite an old article but figured I would comment anyway.
My first cucumber harvested looks great and grew really fast while there are others much older on the lower parts of the plants that have not grown past 2 inches or so long.


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## Bill_auld

Very knowledgeable site,and most helpful but nothing was mentioned about male or female flowers, I spend most mornings nipping out the male flowers ast apparently the male flowers make the cucumbers bitter


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