How to Grow Cucumber in New Zealand

Sow direct or raise seedlings from October in Auckland once it warms up. Trellis for straighter fruit and better air flow, which also helps keep powdery mildew down. Keep the water up in summer to avoid bitter fruit.

When to plant cucumber in New Zealand

Timing is everything in New Zealand, where the warm north and the cooler south are weeks apart. Sow or plant in these months for your region:

Best cucumber varieties for NZ

• Telegraph Improved — Long thin-skinned non-bitter fruit, excellent for the glasshouse. (Kings Seeds, Egmont Seeds)
• Lebanese — Short tender thin-skinned fruit, sweet and best grown up a trellis. (Kings Seeds, Egmont Seeds)
• Crystal Apple — Small round white apple-shaped fruit, sweet and crisp, sets in dry spells. (Kings Seeds, Egmont Seeds)
• Burpless Tasty Green — Long smooth easily digested fruit, reliable and heavy cropping. (Kings Seeds, Egmont Seeds)

How to grow cucumber

• Space plants about 50cm apart.
• Sow seed around 2cm deep.
• Position: full sun.
• Ready to harvest in roughly 60 days.
• Seeds germinate in about 7 days.

Companion planting

Grow cucumber near: Beans, Corn, Nasturtium, Sunflower, Marigold, Radish.

Pests and problems

Watch for: Aphids, Whitefly, Powdery mildew. See our NZ pest and disease guide for organic control.