When to sow Cucumber (outdoor / ridge) in the UK
Across the UK the first sowing of cucumber (outdoor / ridge) falls 11 weeks apart — mid April in the mildest areas, late June in the coldest. That gap is why a single national sowing date is wrong for almost everybody.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Timings below are adjusted from the midlands and lowland wales baseline using Met Office average last and first frost dates for each area.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid March to late March | mid April to early May | early May to mid May | mid June to mid August |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to early April | late April to early May | early May to late May | late June to late August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid March to late March | mid April to early May | early May to mid May | mid June to mid August |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to mid April | early May to late May | late May to early June | mid July to early September |
| East Anglia | mid April to late April | mid May to late May | late May to mid June | mid July to mid September |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid April to early May | late May to early June | early June to mid June | late July to mid September |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to mid April | early May to late May | late May to early June | mid July to early September |
| Northern England | late April to early May | late May to mid June | mid June to late June | early August to late September |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early May to mid May | early June to mid June | mid June to early July | early August to early October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late May to early June | late June to mid July | mid July to late July | late August to late October |
| Northern Ireland | mid April to late April | mid May to late May | late May to mid June | mid July to mid September |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late March | mid April to late April | late April to early May | mid June to early August |
Growing notes
Sow indoors in late April, or direct outdoors in late May or early June in milder areas, and only plant out from early June once temperatures are reliably above 12C. Outdoor (ridge) varieties carry male and female flowers, so leave the males on the plant.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 60 cm
- Plants per m²
- 3
- Days to maturity
- 85 days
- Yield per plant
- 3.0 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- Yes — do not plant out until after the last frost
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 30 cm
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- powdery mildew
- slugs
- cucumber mosaic virus
- glasshouse red spider mite
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for cucumber (outdoor / ridge).