Depending on the variety, you can expect to harvest around 20 cucumbers per plant.
Depending on who you ask, a healthy cucumber plant can be expected to produce 10 large cukes or 15 small ones within a harvest period of about three weeks.
Early in the season, most cucumber plants have little difficulty performing well. With fresh soil and cooler temperatures, the plants produce plenty of foliage and bright yellow blooms. But for many gardeners, by mid-summer, their plants start to show a few signs of slowing down or even dying back.
Yields range from 1 – 3 pounds of fruit per plant per week during the peak harvest period. A normal harvest period of 12 weeks in a well-managed crop can yield a total of 20-25 pounds of fruit per plant. Marketable garden type cucumbers are sorted by size and quality and packed in fiberboard cartons.
Pick cucumbers often, as they can double in size quickly. To allow for the maximum harvest, pick cucumbers as soon as they are big enough. One plant can grow anywhere between 10 and 20 cucumbers.
As you're planning your garden, keep in mind that you'll need two or three cucumber plants per person if you'd like to eat fresh cucumbers straight from the garden or use them in salads or juicing recipes.
Proper plant spacing and trellising are essential for maximizing yields and preventing overcrowding and disease. In hydroponic systems, cucumbers can be trained to grow vertically using trellising systems, while in substrate systems, a more bushy growth habit may be encouraged.
Whether you are training cucumbers up a trellis in the greenhouse, hoophouse, caterpillar tunnel, or simply containers on your back deck, pruning the lateral growth points between the leaf, tendril, and developing fruit of cucumber plants encourages upward growth and helps optimize yield.
Cucumbers are ready for harvest 50 to 70 days from planting, depending on the variety. Depending on their use, harvest on the basis of size. Cucumbers taste best when harvested in the immature stage (Figure 2). Cucumbers should not be allowed to reach the yellowish stage as they become bitter with size.
Many edibles commonly grown in vegetable gardens need to be replanted every year. Crops such as zucchinis and cucumbers are known as annuals because their natural lifecycle only lasts a season. Other plants, such as garlic and kale, are biennials. Their natural lifespan takes two years.
Cucumbers grow fast and don't demand a lot of care. Just keep the soil consistently moist with an inch of water per week (more if temperatures sizzle and rain is scarce). Inadequate or inconsistent moisture causes oddly shaped or poor-tasting fruit.
Poor weather and the use of insecticides can also affect fruit set on cucumbers. Cold, rainy weather during bloom reduces bee activity. Fewer bees visiting the garden results in poor pollination and poor fruit set. Apply insecticides in the garden only when necessary to avoid harming bees and other pollinators.
For non-trellised cucumbers, space plants 8 to 10 inches apart in rows that are 5 feet apart. If cucumbers are trellised, plant four to five seeds per foot in rows spaced 3 feet apart. When plants are 4 to 5 inches high, thin so they are 9 to 12 inches apart.
That means a conservative estimate for the total number of tomatoes harvested during the season would be over 400 tomatoes, or roughly 100 tomatoes per plant. If you grow tomatoes the way I do, it's safe to bet on getting at least 100 tomatoes off your plants within four to five weeks during your peak season.
Cucumber plants like sun, but are prone to scorching, so some shade is preferable. Encourage greenhouse varieties to climb to boost yields. Harvest fruits early in the day while it's cool. Harvest frequently to get more fruits during the season.
However, as soon as the first flowers start to appear the cucumber plant requires a higher level of potassium to encourage further flowering and subsequent fruiting. A high potassium fertiliser, such as tomato feed or a balanced fertiliser mix including potassium can be used as per the instructions.
Let Cucumbers Climb
Trellised cucumbers are easier to pick and less susceptible to disease. Cucumbers do best if they can climb instead of spread over the ground. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages so that the vines climb the structures.
🥒 Unless you chose an all-female variety (recommended), you need to remove the male flowers regularly, or the fruits will have a bitter taste.
MORE: Why it's important to prune your tomato plants
If your cucumber plant has too many leaves, this creates more opportunities for diseases like powdery mildew to develop due to reduced airflow around the plant. Fewer leaves also create more space for sunlight to reach the plant, which can also improve production.
If you prune some of the plant's leaves, it's much easier to see cucumbers and harvest them at the peak of freshness. More productive plants. Pruning cucumbers helps your plants produce more prolifically too. By removing extra leaves, your cucumber vines can focus their energy on growing more cucumbers.
Underwatering: You will see crunchy, brown-edged leaves if you are underwatering your cucumber, which will eventually hinder the growth of your plant. Pests: Pests like cucumber beetles can stunt the plant's growth and negatively impact fruit production.
Cucumbers distorted by poor pollination are perfectly fine to eat.