Lemon Cucumber

Be sure to check out our Cucumber Growing Guide to learn more about how you can successfully grow cucumbers at home.

Lemon Cucumber is an heirloom, open-pollinated variety that was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s. This round cucumber variety produces 3-4" fruits that are about the size of a tennis ball. Compared to traditional cucumbers, Lemon has a thinner flesh which makes it great for fresh eating. The round fruits don't taste like lemons at all. In fact, they have a milder flavor and are less bitter than a standard cucumber. The clean, crisp taste is great on salads, but also makes excellent pickles. Lemon Cucumber is very easy to grow and is a great variety to recommend for new gardeners. Compared to other cucumber varieties, it does not require as much heat to start setting fruit. As a result, it can be planted earlier and will usually start producing earlier. This also makes it an ideal variety for northern areas with shorter growing seasons.

Cucumbers perform best when direct seeded. They do not perform well when transplanted. Cucumbers may be direct-seeded by hand or with a walk-behind seeder. To obtain a good stand of plants, we suggest planting Seeds every 6-8" inches and thinning to one seed per foot. Cucumbers are a vining plant and grow best when provided a trellised structure to climb. Use a strong trellis that is well-supported with deeply driven stakes. Keeping plants off the ground will reduce the potential of plant diseases like mildews and other diseases that can result from excess plant moisture. Trellising will also keep the fruits cleaner and save time with harvest and processing, in addition to reducing fruit discoloration or yellowing from sitting on the soil surface.

Lemon Cucumber Planting Information

Planting Method: direct seed

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1/2"

Seed Spacing: 12"

Row Spacing: 5-6'

Days to Maturity: 60

Disease Resistance: None