Cucumber varieties for your growing space

The right cucumber starts with the right growing place. A sheltered outdoor bed, a warm greenhouse and a small patio pot each call for a different plant.

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Four varieties, four good reasons

Choose outdoor or greenhouse suitability first, then the size of fruit you enjoy. Small fruits do not always mean a small plant, so check the mature size as well.

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Outdoor beds and sheltered plots

Marketmore

Latin name: Cucumis sativus

Trailing or climbing · outdoor ridge type

Choose Marketmore if you want to grow cucumbers outside without a greenhouse. Its firm green fruits are useful for slicing into summer salads. You can let the plant trail across a bed or give it support where ground space is limited. Leave the male flowers in place, because this outdoor type needs pollination to set its crop.

Where it grows

Position: Sunny, sheltered outdoors
Conditions: Warm, fertile soil with good drainage; shelter from wind and water regularly.
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with a sturdy support

Size and effort

Height & spread: Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Difficulty: Moderate · warmth, watering and training

When

Sow: Indoors: April-May. Direct outdoors: late May-June in warm soil.
Plant: Outdoors: late May-June, after hardening off and once frost risk has passed.
Harvest: July-September

Pests & diseases

Protect young plants from slugs; watch for aphids and powdery mildew.

Bear in mind

Outdoor suitability does not mean frost tolerance. Trailing plants need more ground space than trained ones.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Long greenhouse cucumbers

Carmen F1

Latin name: Cucumis sativus

Climbing · all-female greenhouse type

Choose Carmen F1 for the long cucumbers you can slice for sandwiches and family salads. It suits a greenhouse where a tall plant can climb a cane or string. Disease resistance gives it a useful advantage in a space that grows cucumbers regularly. It is a good fit when you can keep up with watering and want full-sized fruits.

Where it grows

Position: Warm greenhouse
Conditions: Bright light, warmth and rich compost; keep roots evenly moist, not waterlogged.
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with a sturdy support

Size and effort

Height & spread: Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Difficulty: Moderate · warmth, watering and training

When

Sow: Indoors: March-April; February only with reliable heated protection.
Plant: Unheated greenhouse: late May-June, when nights stay warm enough.
Harvest: June-September; later from an unheated start

Pests & diseases

Resists powdery mildew, scab and leaf spot. Still check for mites, whitefly and aphids.

Bear in mind

Needs greenhouse warmth and support; resistance does not make the plant immune to disease.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Small cucumbers for snacking

Mini Munch F1

Latin name: Cucumis sativus

Climbing · all-female greenhouse type

Choose Mini Munch F1 if you prefer to pick a cucumber for one snack rather than cut a larger fruit. Picked at about 7cm, the crunchy fruits fit neatly into a lunchbox. Regular harvesting makes this a useful greenhouse crop for a household that eats cucumbers little and often. Despite its small fruits, the plant needs a tall support.

Where it grows

Position: Warm greenhouse
Conditions: Bright light, warmth and rich compost; keep roots evenly moist, not waterlogged.
Containers: Large pot or growing bag, with a sturdy support

Size and effort

Height & spread: Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Difficulty: Moderate · warmth, watering and training

When

Sow: Indoors: March-April; February only with reliable heated protection.
Plant: Unheated greenhouse: late May-June, when nights stay warm enough.
Harvest: June-October; later from an unheated start

Pests & diseases

Watch for red spider mite, whitefly and aphids under glass, and powdery mildew.

Bear in mind

“Mini” describes the fruit, not the plant. It still needs greenhouse space and frequent picking.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Pots and small spaces

Quick Snack F1

Latin name: Cucumis sativus

Dwarf · fruit sets without pollination

Choose Quick Snack F1 when the plant itself needs to stay small. Its short growth suits a pot on a sunny patio, in a conservatory or on a sufficiently bright windowsill. The bite-sized fruits can develop without insect pollination, which is useful indoors. It offers a practical way to try cucumbers when you cannot accommodate a tall greenhouse climber.

Where it grows

Position: Bright indoors, greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors
Conditions: Bright light, warmth and rich compost; keep roots evenly moist, not waterlogged.
Containers: Especially suited to pots; provide a short support

Size and effort

Height & spread: 50-60cm tall × 40-50cm wide
Difficulty: Easy to moderate · monitor light and watering

When

Sow: Indoors: March-April; later outdoor sowings in warm conditions, May-June.
Plant: Under cover: May-June. Outdoors: after frost, once nights are reliably warm.
Harvest: July-October, while conditions stay warm

Pests & diseases

Watch for red spider mite, whitefly and aphids under glass, and powdery mildew.

Bear in mind

A dim windowsill will not support a good crop. Keep watered and pick fruits at about 5-6cm.

View seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Sizes are approximate mature dimensions, not planting distances. Difficulty is our practical guide to the care involved, not an official rating. “Easy” still means regular watering and feeding.

Compare at a glance

Marketmore suits outdoor beds; Carmen and Mini Munch need greenhouse warmth. Quick Snack is the compact choice where a tall climber will not fit.

Cucumbers compared by best use, growing place and mature size
Variety	Choose it for	Growing place	Height & spread
Marketmore	Outdoor beds and sheltered plots	Sunny, sheltered outdoors	Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Carmen F1	Long greenhouse cucumbers	Warm greenhouse	Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Mini Munch F1	Small cucumbers for snacking	Warm greenhouse	Up to 3m tall × 45cm wide when trained
Quick Snack F1	Pots and small spaces	Bright indoors, greenhouse or warm, sheltered outdoors	50-60cm tall × 40-50cm wide

Swipe the comparison sideways to see all four columns.

A note on UK timing

For greenhouse crops, sow indoors in March or April and keep young plants warm. February sowings need reliable heated protection. For outdoor crops, an April or May indoor start avoids keeping large plants waiting for suitable weather.

An unheated greenhouse is usually ready for planting in late May or June, once nights remain around 15°C or warmer. Harden outdoor plants off and wait for warm soil and frost-free conditions. Direct sowing outdoors is an option for suitable varieties in late May or June.

Early June harvests require an early, warm start; outdoor plants commonly begin in July. The end of the season depends on cold nights and plant health. Follow the exact packet’s instructions, especially for flower removal: Marketmore needs its male flowers for pollination.

Keeping cucumbers healthy

Under glass, inspect leaf undersides for red spider mite, whitefly and aphids. Keep plants watered, ventilate without chilling them, and provide shade if strong summer sun scorches the leaves.

Powdery mildew can affect cucumbers even when a variety has resistance. Avoid letting the roots dry out or sit in saturated compost. Protect young outdoor plants from slugs while they establish.

Make it work for your plot

Use your growing space and local weather to plan the next step, from sowing to planting out.

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