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33 of the Best Cucumber Varieties to Grow at Home | Gardener’s Path
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Slicing
Slicing varieties are grown predominantly for fresh eating. They are normally smooth skinned, with tender flesh.
1. Ashley
This heirloom cultivar is a prolific producer of dark green, six to eight-inch fruits, with a slight taper on the stem end.
A vining variety, ‘Ashley’ was bred at the South Carolina Truck Experimental Station in Charleston in 1956 for the southern fresh produce market. It is a cross between ‘Puerto Rico 40’ and ‘Marketer.’
Fruits are ready to harvest in 65 days, and as this cultivar is resistant to downy mildew, it’s a good option for growers in hot, humid conditions.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
2. Burpless #26
This hybrid vining variety produces thin fruits up to 12 inches long, but they are usually best picked at eight to 10 inches.
With thin, dark green skin and mild flesh with no hint of bitterness, this variety is resistant to downy mildew and mosaic virus.
Long vines will require staking or trellising. Ready to harvest in 50 days, regular picking will encourage the vines to produce more fruit.
You can find seeds available from Seed Survivor via Amazon.
3. Bush Champion
‘Bush Champion’ is a prolific producer of eight to 11-inch fruit on compact plants. This hybrid bush type delivers straight, crisp, bright green cucumbers in just 60 days.
Ideal for container growing or raised bed gardening, this Burpee exclusive is resistant to mosaic virus.
Find packets of 60 or 150 seeds available at Burpee.
4. Dasher II
‘Dasher II’ is a dark green hybrid cultivar with excellent disease resistance. Vigorous vines produce slim, eight-inch, white-spined fruit in 55 to 60 days.
Best grown on a fence or trellis for easy harvest, straight, uniform fruits have high resistance to scab and moderate resistance to mosaic virus, leaf spot, and powdery mildew.
You can find packets of 500 and 1,000 seeds available from Walmart.
5. Diva
A winner of the All-America Selections award in 2002, ‘Diva’ is a hybrid cultivar that produces semi-glossy, thin-skinned fruits of six to eight inches long.
‘Diva’ is a mostly seedless variety with a sweet, mild flavor. High yields on vigorous vines are ready to harvest in 58 days.
This cultivar is resistant to scab, and tolerant of downy and powdery mildew.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
6. Early Pride
‘Early Pride’ is a hybrid cultivar that bears dark green, straight fruits of eight to nine inches long.
Bred by Burpee, plants are resistant to powdery mildew and mosaic virus. Vines grow vigorously up a trellis or frame and produce an abundant harvest.
With a mild flavor, these burpless cucumbers are ready to pick in 55 days.
You can find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
7. Fanfare
‘Fanfare’ is a hybrid cultivar producing slim, eight to nine-inch uniform fruits with excellent texture and flavor.
Short, two- to two-and-a-half-feet semi-determinate vines produce high yields in just 63 days. Ideal for container growing on the patio, this All-America Selections winner (1994) has deep green skin and sweet flesh.
You can find seeds available from Pase Seeds via Amazon.
8. Long Green Improved
‘Long Green Improved’ is a prolific heirloom cultivar with straight, 10- to 12-inch fruits with dark green skin.
Originally introduced in 1842, this cultivar was bred from an even older variety, ‘Long Green Turkey,’ dating back to as early as 1778.
Vigorous, robust vines will require staking for straight, uniform fruits that mature in 65 days. This variety is well-suited to both slicing and pickling.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
9. Marketer
‘Marketer’ is an open-pollinated variety with a sweet, mild flavor. A winner of the All-America Selections award in the edibles category in 1943, it’s ideal for hot, humid Southern climates.
Dark green, smooth, slender fruits grow eight to nine inches long on vigorous vines and are ready to pick after 55 days.
‘Marketer’ was bred by Associated Seed Growers in Connecticut, and is a cross between ‘Straight Eight’ and ‘Vaughan.’ It was first introduced in 1942.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
10. Marketmore 76
‘Marketmore 76’ is a popular heirloom cultivar with impressive disease resistance. Dark green, slender, thick-skinned fruits measure eight to nine inches long, and mature in 67 days.
The original ‘Marketmore’ variety was developed by Dr. Henry Munger at Cornell University in 1968, and in 1976 he released ‘Marketmore 76,’ a vigorous, open-pollinated strain.
With a crisp crunch and sweet flavor, this variety has a small seed cavity and lends itself to both slicing and pickling.
Resistant to powdery and downy mildew, leaf spot, mosaic virus, and scab, this is a reliable producer in warmer climates.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
11. Muncher
‘Muncher’ is an open-pollinated cultivar producing medium-sized fruit up to nine inches long. Ideal for slicing, immature fruit can be picked at four to five inches for pickling.
Vigorous vines produce heavy yields of light green, smooth, burpless cucumbers that are mild and sweet, ready to pick in 65 days.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
12. Poinsett 76
‘Poinsett 76’ was developed by Dr. Henry Munger of Cornell University in 1976. Eight-inch fruits are tender, with crisp, white flesh and dark green skin.
This hybrid cultivar is resistant to leaf spot, powdery and downy mildew, and anthracnose.
Strong, vigorous vines produce an abundance of burpless, mild cucumbers ideal for slicing or sandwiches.
You can find seeds available at Eden Brothers.
13. Salad Bush
‘Salad Bush’ is a compact hybrid bush variety ideal for container growing. Dark green eight-inch fruits are ready for harvest in 57 days.
This cultivar was a winner of the All-America Selections award in the edible category in 1988.
‘Salad Bush’ is resistant to mosaic virus, downy mildew, scab, and leaf spot.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
14. Spacemaster
‘Spacemaster’ is an open-pollinated compact bush variety that produces six- to eight-inch light green fruits in just 65 days.
Developed by Dr. Henry Munger of Cornell University, this cultivar was first brought to market in 1980.
Ideal for container growing, the crisp, non-bitter cucumbers can be used for slicing or harvested early for pickling.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and scab, and have moderate resistance to downy and powdery mildew.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
15. Straight Eight
‘Straight Eight’ is an heirloom cultivar that produces eight-inch light green fruits with fine-grained flesh and great taste in just 65 days.
The long, vigorous, trailing vines will appreciate support or trellising.
‘Straight Eight’ was introduced to the market in 1935 by Ferry-Morse Seeds, and won the All-America Selections award in the edible category the same year.
You can find seeds available in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.
16. Sugar Crunch
A compact hybrid cultivar, ‘Sugar Crunch’ produces an abundance of crisp, crunchy fruit with smooth, light green skin.
Best picked at four to five inches long, they are ideal for slicing, with a sweet, mild flavor. They are also suitable for pickling.
Fruits mature in 57 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
17. Sweet Slice
‘Sweet Slice’ is a hybrid cultivar with 10- to 12-inch, crisp, tender fruits with thin, dark green skin and a sweet, mild flavor with no hint of bitterness.
Ready for harvest in 55 to 62 days, ‘Sweet Slice’ produces burpless cucumbers that require no peeling.
Find seeds from Hometown Seeds via Amazon.
18. Sweet Success
‘Sweet Success’ is a seedless hybrid that produces 12- to 14-inch seedless, thin-skinned fruit with a mild, sweet taste.
An All-America Selections winner in the edible category in 1983, ‘Sweet Success’ grows on vigorous vines and is ready to harvest in just 54 days.
‘Sweet Success should be grown on a trellis or staked. This cultivar is resistant to mosaic virus, scab, powdery mildew, and leaf spot.
Packets of 15 seeds are available at Burpee.
19. Tanja
‘Tanja’ is a highly productive open-pollinated cultivar that produces 12-inch slender cucumbers that are firm and crunchy.
Without a hint of bitterness, the flavor is mild, almost sweet.
Vigorous vines will require trellising to produce uniformly straight fruit.
Ready to pick in 60 days, plants continue to produce over a long harvest period.
Seeds are available via Amazon.
20. Tendergreen Burpless
Also known as ‘Burpless Tendergreen,’ this heirloom cultivar produces mild, burpless cucumbers with dark green skin, thin skin.
Best harvested at eight inches or less, ‘Tendergreen Burpless’ is suitable for slicing or pickling.
Plants are vigorous growers, and are resistant to powdery and downy mildew. Harvest after 55 days.
Seeds are available in a variety of packet sizes from Eden Brothers.
Pickling
Pickling cucumbers are shorter, with more spines, and they typically have drier flesh with a lower water content.
Some varieties are dual-purpose, suitable for both slicing and pickling.
21. Boston Pickling
‘Boston Pickling’ is an heirloom cultivar that is suitable for both pickling and slicing. Three to six-inch long, bright green fruits with crisp flesh grow on vigorous vines.
This cultivar was first introduced by Wood and Sons in 1880. Cucumbers are ready to harvest after 55 days.
Find seeds available at Eden Brothers.
22. Burpee Pickler
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Burpee Pickler’ grows long, vigorous vines and produces heavy yields of black-spined, medium green, three- to five-inch fruits with blunt tips.
Tolerant to mosaic virus, fruits are ready to harvest in 53 days.
Find packets of 100 seeds available at Burpee.
23. Bush Pickle
‘Bush Pickle’ is a hybrid cultivar ideal for containers or smaller gardens. It has a compact bushy growth habit, and produces a large number of light green, four to five-inch fruits.
Sweet and tender fruits are ready for harvest after 50 days.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes at True Leaf Market.
24. Calypso
‘Calypso’ is a hybrid cultivar developed at the North Carolina Agriculture Research Station. It produces high yields of three-inch, firm fruit, an inch in diameter.
Dark green cucumbers with minimal white spines mature in 52 days, and are ideal for pickling but can also be enjoyed sliced.
‘Calypso’ exhibits resistance to powdery mildew, mosaic virus, and anthracnose.
Seeds are available in a variety of package sizes and in bulk from True Leaf Market.
25. Carolina
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Carolina’ is a compact vining type with medium green fruits of three to four inches long.
Developed at Clemson University in South Carolina, disease-resistant plants produce high yields in just 55 days.
Find seed packets available from Isla‘s Garden Seeds via Amazon.
26. Fancipak
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Fancipak’ produces uniform fruit with tender skin and a blocky shape.
Medium to large vines with dense foliage protect the developing fruit from sunscald, which makes it a good choice for growing in hotter climates.
Medium green four-inch cukes are ready to harvest in about 54 days.
Resilient plants are resistant to mosaic virus, downy and powdery mildew, scab, and anthracnose.
Find seeds available on Amazon.
27. Homemade Pickles
‘Homemade Pickles’ is an heirloom cultivar. Also known as ‘Southern Homemade Pickles,’ this is a vigorous bush variety that produces an abundance of five to six-inch fruits.
The crisp texture and sweet flavor make this variety a popular choice for pickling as well as fresh eating.
Harvest when small for baby sweet pickles, and expect 55 to 60 days to full maturity.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
28. Little Leaf H-19
Emerald green three to five-inch fruits grow on compact multi-branching vines. ‘Little Leaf H-19’ is a hybrid cultivar bred in 1991 at the University of Arkansas.
Smaller than what you will typically see on most cultivars, the leaves improve visibility for harvesting, and plants can be grown in containers or in small space gardens.
Excellent both for pickling and fresh eating, this variety is resistant to mosaic virus, powdery and downy mildew, and scab.
Find seeds available from David’s Garden Seeds via Amazon.
29. National Pickling
Also known as ‘National Pickle’ or ‘National Association Pickling,’ this cultivar was bred in 1924 at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station for the National Pickle Packers Association.
Vigorous medium-length vines produce large yields of six-inch crispy, tender-skinned cucumbers.
You can harvest two-inch baby gherkins for pickling, and larger fruits are ideal for slicing.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and ready to harvest in 55 days.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
30. Parisian
A French heirloom cultivar, ‘Parisian Pickling’ was first listed in seed catalogs in the US in 1892 by J. H. Gregory.
Used extensively in commercial production in Europe in the late 19th century, three- to six-inch fruits grow on semi-vining plants.
An All-American Selections winner in 2015, ‘Parisian Pickling’ is disease resistant and suitable for growing in containers and raised bed gardens, ready to harvest in 55 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
31. Pick a Bushel
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Pick a Bushel’ is a semi-bush variety that produces an abundance of sweet, crisp fruits with light green skin.
An All-America Selections winner in 2014, ‘Pick a Bushel’ is ideal for growers in northern regions, with fruits that are ready to harvest in 50 days.
Fruits are best picked when they are between three and six inches long, and the compact vines are suitable for small space gardens or container growing.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and scab.
Packets of 30 seeds are available at Burpee.
32. Picklebush
‘Picklebush’ is a hybrid cultivar bred by Burpee, with compact vines and a bushy growth habit. White-spined four-and-a-half-inch fruit have that classic pickle look: green with pale stripes.
Plants are resistant to powdery mildew and mosaic virus.
This variety is ideal for growing in containers or in small gardens, and provides an abundant harvest after 52 days.
Find packets of 50 seeds available at Burpee.
33. Supremo
‘Supremo’ is a Burpee exclusive hybrid cultivar with compact bushy vines that produce a prolific harvest of three to four-inch, dark green, striped fruits.
Suitable for container growing, plants are disease resistant, and these are ready to pick after 52 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
Which Variety Is Right for You?
Armed with this lengthy list of cucumber cultivars to choose from, you’re sure to find one perfect for your growing conditions and personal taste.
If you’re just getting started, be sure to check out our cucumber growing guide for everything you need to know.
Do you want to grow long slicing types, or petite picklers? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
And for more information on growing other vegetables in your garden, you’ll need these guides next:
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Gretchen Heber
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