40 Cucumber Varieties You Must Grow

There are such a lot of cucumber varieties (over 100) that it could really feel overwhelming to resolve which cukes to plant in your backyard. Right here we’ll focus on just a few favorites with the traits that set them aside and make them a fantastic selection for any house backyard. Cucumbers are among the many hottest vegetation grown in house gardens, proper alongside tomatoes and peppers. In spite of everything, is a summer time salad full with no homegrown cucumber? Not for me! 

Most cucumber vegetation produce separate female and male flowers. To ensure that them to provide fruit, a pollinator should land on the male flower after which transfer pollen over to the feminine flowers. There are additionally parthenocarpic cucumbers that are varieties that produce largely feminine flowers, which make this course of even simpler, guaranteeing extra fruit. They’re additionally sometimes called self-pollinating. 

The sorts of cucumber that you just’ll generally discover within the grocery retailer are slicer cucumbers and English cucumbers, although as you’ll see under, there are such a lot of totally different varieties and kinds! So whether or not you’re on the lookout for cucumbers for recent consuming, pickling, seedless, or simply so as to add some visible curiosity to your backyard, we’ve received the cucumber for you. 

Slicing Cucumber Varieties

Slicing cucumber varieties are primarily used for, effectively, slicing! All these cucumber are greatest for recent consuming and sliced for a salad or sandwich. They often have excessive water content material and skinny darkish inexperienced pores and skin. Slicing cucumbers most intently resemble the cucumbers that you just see in grocery shops. 

Marketmore 76

Most likely the most typical heirloom cucumber selection that’s recognized for its capability to provide uniform fruit that holds up effectively throughout transport making it a well-liked selection for market growers. The Marketmore cucumber was developed by Dr. Henry Munger at Cornell College, and this open-pollinated pressure was launched in 1976. Immune to angular leaf spot. 

Straight Eight

All these cucumbers are named for his or her completely straight 8-inch lengthy fruits, every with a small seed cavity. Straight Eight is the epitome of a slicing cucumber. They’re greatest eaten uncooked however can even maintain as much as pickling. Develop these on a trellis to present them loads of room to succeed in their mature measurement.  

Silver Slicer

Comparable in measurement and look to Straight Eight, a candy slice from members of those cucumber cultivars have white pores and skin. Cucumbers will usually flip bitter in the summertime warmth, however this cucumber can tolerate hotter climate with out dropping its candy taste. It’s also immune to powdery mildew, making it a fantastic selection for growers in humid climates. 

Longfellow

Longfellow was launched in 1927 by Jerome B. Rice Seed Co. of Cambridge, New York. Fruits that develop as much as 12-inches lengthy make this longer than most modern-day slicers. They’re simply recognizable by their darkish inexperienced fruit, which might seem nearly black. 

Arkansas Little Leaf

This bush-type selection produces compact vegetation which are excellent for container rising. It’s extremely immune to bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic virus, mildews, scab, and leaf spots. The skinny-skinned fruits are small, 3-4 inches, and extra intently resemble a pickling cucumber. Nonetheless, they may also be eaten recent. 

Mini Munch

Also known as a snacking cucumber or lunchbox cucumber, this selection produces thin-skinned cucumbers with a crisp texture that makes them excellent for consuming uncooked. That is one other of the bush cucumbers that’s good for rising in small areas and likewise powdery mildew resistant. Fruits will develop to be about 3-4 inches lengthy. 

Early Fortune

Also called Particular Darkish Inexperienced due to its deep inexperienced pores and skin. This number of American slicing cucumbers was launched in 1910 by Jerome B. Rice Seed Co. of Cambridge, New York. The plant will produce cucumbers which have a crunchy texture and a barely candy taste. For a candy slice, look no additional.

Japanese Climbing

As its identify would recommend, these vining cucumbers like to climb. Rising Japanese cucumbers on a trellis is a should because the vine can attain 6 ft lengthy. Its taste has been described as tender, crisp, and barely tart. Japanese cucumbers are one other a type of sorts of cucumber which are excellent for slicing however may also be used for pickling. 

Spacemaster

One other bush selection, with compact vines, is sweet for small areas. This selection may even be grown in a dangling basket. This cucumber plant produces massive, flavorful recent cucumbers excellent for slicing and recent consuming their crunchy texture.

Sugar Crunch

Once more, the identify of this one is a lifeless giveaway. This cucumber is thought for its remarkably candy taste and crispy texture. This plant will produce medium inexperienced, thin-skinned fruits. 

Persian Cucumbers

Persian cucumbers are wonderful slicing cucumbers with skinny skins and delicate taste. The principle distinguishing issue between this and different slicing cucumber varieties is they’re almost seedless and have a marked crispness that’s scrumptious for consuming uncooked. The fruits of this cucumber plant with compact vines are eaten small, too.  

Bush Champion

These are nice cucumbers to develop if vertical cucumber gardening isn’t doable. Bush champion has massive fruit that has a lightweight crispness and delicate taste. 

Pickling Cucumber Varieties

Not like slicing cucumbers, sorts of cucumber amongst pickling varieties have a thicker pores and skin and decrease water content material which helps them stand as much as the pickling course of and retain some crispness. These cucumbers may also be eaten recent, however they shine when saved by way of pickling. 

Boston Pickling

This heirloom might be the most well-liked of the pickling cucumber varieties and is most generally out there at native nurseries. These cucumber vegetation produce a excessive yield of quick, spiny cucumbers excellent for pickling. Make certain to choose these cucumbers when they’re 3-4 inches lengthy. In any other case, they will flip bitter. 

Picklebush

The actual selection is a Burpee unique which is thought for being particularly tolerant to powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus. It’s a fantastic choice for gardeners who’ve struggled with these points up to now. These vibrant inexperienced fruits are immune to the watermelon mosaic virus as effectively. 

A&C, also called Ace Pickling

This selection was launched in 1928 by Abbot and Cobb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These develop fairly massive for pickling cucumbers, about 10” lengthy, with darkish inexperienced flesh. 

Calypso

3” lengthy pickling cucumbers which are immune to many illnesses. This high-yielding hybrid will offer you loads of cukes for pickling. Decide them small and infrequently to encourage extra manufacturing. 

Chicago Pickling

That is one other dual-purpose cucumber that may also be harvested at a bigger measurement, round 7 inches, to be used as a slicer. Harvest it on the smaller measurement, round 3-4 inches to be used as pickling cucumbers. 

Wautoma

Developed by the USDA and one other extremely disease-resistant selection. Bitter-free and produces just about seedless cucumbers. They’re medium inexperienced and have bumpy pores and skin. 

County Honest

It is a bush selection that’s excellent for small areas and containers. It might do effectively on a balcony or patio. Immune to bacterial wilt and doesn’t require a pollinator. 

Supremo

A high-yielding pickler with reasonable resistance to most illnesses. These vegetation produce fruits with darkish inexperienced pores and skin and a gentle style. 

Double Yield

Early to mid-season harvests make this a fantastic selection for short-season growers. They produce mild inexperienced fruits with black spines. They may also be eaten uncooked. 

Excelsior

Produces 4-5 inch, spiny fruits. Self-fruitful and does effectively in areas the place pollinators could also be missing, like in a greenhouse or below row covers. They might additionally do effectively in different areas not readily accessible to pollinators, reminiscent of a high-rise patio or balcony. 

Endeavor

These Kirby cucumbers have a crisp texture and candy style, which makes them good for additionally consuming recent. The vegetation are immune to cucumber mosaic virus and downy mildew. 

Nationwide Pickling Cucumber

These are rather a lot like most cucumbers with skinny skins and a refreshing style. Nationwide pickling cucumbers are recognized for his or her excessive yield and crispness. Consuming cucumbers like these imply the style of candy success isn’t far-off!

Seedless/Burpless Cucumber Varieties

These thin-skinned sorts of cucumber typically have only a few seeds. Any seeds which are current are often so small that they’re barely noticeable (just like the English cucumber that you could be discover wrapped in plastic wrap at your native grocery shops). Burpless cucumbers are bred with decrease ranges of cucurbitacin, which is what makes some cucumbers style bitter. Cucurbitacin ranges are highest within the pores and skin. Subsequently, burpless cucumbers are typically thin-skin and have a candy style. Most burpless cucumbers can even produce fruit with out pollination. 

Candy Success

Produces 12-inch lengthy darkish inexperienced fruits with a candy style. These belong to a gaggle of parthenocarpic cucumbers which suggests they may set fruit with out pollination. 

Burpless Magnificence

Identified for his or her crisp texture and lack of seeds. These darkish inexperienced cucumbers develop on a vine that may do greatest supported by a trellis. Give them the house to sprawl, and also you’ll be rewarded with loads of seedless cukes. 

Backyard Candy Burpless Hybrid

Medium inexperienced 10-12 inch lengthy fruits with faint stripes resembling a pickling cucumber. This seedless cucumber will be eaten recent or pickled. 

Muncher Cucumber

One other dual-purpose cucumber is nice for each slicing and pickling. Muncher cucumbers resemble the Persian cucumber, and their candy taste makes them great shredded and added to tzatziki or pickled for relish. 

Tendergreen

Medium inexperienced pores and skin with black spines and very tender and candy. If left on the vine to completely mature, their easy pores and skin can seem nearly black. Try our choice of Tendergreen Seeds from San Diego Seed Co!

Inexperienced Dragon

Produces lengthy and slender cucumbers with mild inexperienced pores and skin. These cucumber vegetation have illness resistance to cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew, downy mildew, and scab. 

Summer time Dance

These Japanese cucumbers are shiny deep inexperienced and develop to provide 9-inch fruits. These will be eaten uncooked or pickled and are particularly good for making bread and butter pickles. 

Beit Alpha

This selection was developed in Israel and is turning into common in America. These heirloom cucumbers are additionally parthenocarpic, which makes them ideally suited for rising inside greenhouses and even throughout the winter in an indoor develop tent since pollinators aren’t required for fruit to kind. 

Perseus

This selection is a hybrid Beit Alpha kind and shares related qualities talked about above. The caveat is that this selection does require pollinators with a purpose to set fruit. 

Chelsea Prize

This English cucumber grows to be 12-15 inches lengthy and is most just like the number of English cucumbers that you just’ll discover within the grocery retailer. This seedless selection has a skinny pores and skin, only a few seeds, and a refreshing style. 

Distinctive Cucumber Varieties

Cucumbers are available in so many sizes, shapes, colours, and development habits (bush pickle vs. vining). Under we’ll focus on just a few distinctive sorts of cucumber. There are additionally toxic cucumbers! Though you gained’t discover these at your native nursery or seed provide retailer. 

Suyo Lengthy

As its identify would recommend, this selection produces very lengthy and infrequently curved fruit. They are often 18 inches lengthy at maturity. These heirloom cucumbers come from China. Gentle taste, burpless cucumbers. 

Lemon Cucumbers

The heirloom selection, lemon cucumber has been round since 1894. These have a light taste and are much less apt to develop a bitter style. These spherical cucumbers are tennis ball sized with creamy yellow pores and skin. Though they seem like lemons, the lemon cucumber has a basic cucumber taste. Lemon cucumbers have a skinny pores and skin. 

Kiwano, aka Jelly Melon

That is technically not a cucumber and is definitely a melon (Cucumis metuliferus). It’s also generally generally known as an African cucumber melon or horned melon. It has a vibrant orange spiky pores and skin, however the inside is inexperienced with massive seeds that seem like cucumber seeds. It tastes like a cucumber and subsequently is usually handled as such. 

Little Potato

This selection is initially from India, and with a brown blotchy skinny pores and skin, it resembles a small potato. Its taste has been described as delicate, even lemony. 

Crystal Apple

These cucumbers develop into 3-inch oval-ish fruits, pale yellow, and seem like apples! This selection was launched by the Arthur Yates seed home of Sydney, Australia. 

Boothy’s Blond

Think about a normal pickling fruit, quick and blocky, with bumpy pores and skin. That’s Boothy’s Blonde, however with a yellow complexion. Candy and crisp fruits which are nice for recent consuming or pickling. 

Edmonson

A hardy cucumber with illness resistance, pest resistance, and really drought tolerant. It has white pores and skin that matures to a deep red-orange, and it’s nice for pickling. 

Miniature White

These specialty cucumbers will not be grown commercially and are typically discovered on small farms and in house gardens. Harvest cucumbers when they’re at or below 3 inches lengthy for the very best style. Their white pores and skin provides visible curiosity to your cucumber beds. 

Poona Kheera

One other selection originated in India and is just like the little potato. Fruits start mild inexperienced in coloration and slowly mature to seem like russet potatoes. This heirloom has easy pores and skin, juicy flesh, and a crisp style. 

Armenian Cucumber

Just like the Kiwano, Armenian cucumbers will not be really cucumbers, however fairly a melon. Nonetheless, Armenian cucumbers’ look resembles an English cucumber (although lighter in coloration), as does the style. They’re grown and consumed very similar to cucumbers.

Incessantly Requested Questions

Q: What number of totally different types of cucumbers are there?

A: Over 100 varieties! Many seed corporations constantly create new hybrids every season. 

Q: What’s the most typical cucumber?

A: Marketmore 76 (slicing), Chelsea Prize (seedless), Boston Pickling (pickling), and Kiwano are all varieties that may readily be discovered at most supermarkets or specialty shops. 

Q: What’s the sweetest kind of cucumber?

A: Candy success has been described as one of many sweetest tasting cucumbers. 

Q: What are the simplest cucumbers to develop?

A: Straight Eight is among the best to develop dual-purpose cucumbers that can be utilized for each slicing and pickling. 

Q: What are the three sorts of cucumbers?

A: Slicing, pickling, and seedless/burpless.