Recommended Cucumber Varieties

Pickling Varieties

• For home-canned pickles, grow pickling cucumber varieties. These cucumbers grow 4 to 5 inches long and have a thick skin and spines. Their flesh is somewhat firmer than other cucumber varieties, so they hold up during the canning process. Pickling varieties mature earlier than other types, and the fruit matures within seven to 10 days, allowing the home canner to harvest a large yield of cucumbers all at once. Try West India Gherkin, National or Regal pickling cucumbers.

Slicing Cucumbers

• Grow slicing cucumbers for fresh eating and salads. These cucumbers have a mild, fresh taste, smooth skin and few or no spines. They can grow either on vines, or as bush plants. Vine cucumbers produce more cucumbers than bush types, but also need more room in the garden. Try Marketmore 70, Supersett, Slicemaster, Greensleeves, Orient Express or Sweet Slice.

Specialty Cucumbers

• Once you've mastered growing cucumbers, try unusual varieties, such as Lemon, which looks like a small lemon and has a slight lemon flavor. Explore heirloom varieties, such as Long green Improved, Straight Eight or Boston Pickling. Heirloom varieties may lack disease resistance, but often have more flavor than hybrid types.

Special Circumstances

• Don't let limited space stop you from growing cucumbers. Plant compact, patio types, such as Pot Luck, Bush Champion or Patio Pik in a small garden, or even in a container. Try Victory for Northern climates with a short growing season. Heat tolerant cucumbers for the South include Poinsett, Sweet Slice, Fancypak and Carolina. Try burpless varieties, such as Burpless, Tasygreen Burpless and Sweet Success for a mild, low-acid taste.