If you want to grow your own cucumbers this year to make the tastiest pickles around – the road to success all starts with selecting the best plants to produce cucumbers with the perfect size, crispness and flavor. And, of course – a lot of them!
Cucumbers are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in a home garden. In fact, they are second only to tomatoes. And one of the biggest reason they have that high popularity is that so many gardeners love turning their fresh cucumbers into delicious homemade pickles.
From sweet, dill, gherkin and bread & butter varieties – to spicy garlic, flaming hot pickles and everything in between – there is nothing like the taste of a homemade pickle. Especially when you grow and make your own!
So what makes a great pickle? For sure, having a good pickling recipe is a big key. As is picking the cucumbers at their peak of freshness and pickling them as soon as possible.
But there is one more extremely important factor that can make all the difference when it comes to making great pickles – and that is selecting a cucumber variety that produces the right type of cucumber for pickling. And that is what today’s article is all about!
The Top 3 Cucumbers To Grow To Make Great Pickles
Before we get to our 3 favorite pickle making cucumber varieties – it’s important to understand not all cucumber plants are good for pickle making. And all too often, when gardeners are not happy with how their fresh cucumbers pickled – it can be traced back to simply growing the wrong variety.
There are two main types of cucumber plant varieties, slicing and pickling. Slicing varieties are wonderful for fresh eating. They are great as well in salads, dishes and more. But it is the pickling varieties, with their shorter, blockier stature, and crisp, crunchier makeup that are the best choice of all for making pickles.
As you will see, all three of the cucumber selections today fall into the pickling category. And even better – all three are heavy producers. One thing is for sure – you simply can’t grow wrong planting any one of these amazing pickling cucumbers!
#) National Pickling Cucumber – The Top 3 Cucumbers To Grow To Make Pickles
At the top of our list is the National Pickling Cucumber. Developed in the late 1920’s through an effort by the National Pickle Packers Association and the University of Michigan, the National Pickling variety was bred specifically for making pickles. With that type of background, you know it has to be good!
Not only are the seeds fast to germinate, they also produce cucumbers in as little as 55 days. Even better, it produces an enormous amount of them. In fact, the National Pickling variety can usually produce as many as 10 pounds of cucumbers per plant! Seed Link : National Pickling Cucumber Seeds
Best of all, the cucumbers are perfectly tapered making them excellent for pickling. This variety is a climber, so support in the way of a fence panel or trellis will help the plant grow and produce even better.
#2 Boston Pickling Cucumber – The Top 3 Cucumbers To Grow To Make Pickles
The second cucumber plant on today’s list is another long-standing pickle making heirloom variety – the Boston Pickling cucumber.
This heirloom variety has been around since the late 1800’s and is still one of the best varieties of all for making pickles. A vining cucumber, it will thrive when given a bit of support from a trellis, fence or a cage.
The Boston Pickling cucumber is another early producer, with fruit setting in as early as 55 days. This indeterminate variety will produce a heavy load of cucumbers right up until the first frost. And being an heirloom, its seeds can be saved to grow year after year. Affiliate Seed Link: Boston Pickling Heirloom Cucumber Seeds – Non GMO.
A bit of extra fertilizing through the summer months will help it continue to bloom, flower and fruit. As with any cucumber, when planting, add a fair amount of compost into the planting hole to provide a good supply of early nutrients to get it off to a fast start.
#3) Spacemaster Cucumber Seeds – The Top 3 Cucumbers To Grow To Make Pickles
Last but not least, there is the Spacemaster cucumber plant. This is a great choice if space is at a premium in your garden. Spacemaster is a bush variety of cucumber that grows in a wonderfully compact fashion. Because of that , it can produce a lot of fruit in a small area.
Plants grow anywhere from 18″ to 30″ high and produce an abundance of fruit. If allowed to grow to full size, the cucumbers can reach seven to eight inches in length, however, it’s best to pick them smaller for making deliciously crunchy pickles. This is good advice when picking any cucumber for pickling.
Its compact nature lends itself beautifully to raised beds or even container plantings. With that said, it fits well into traditional gardens just as easily, especially with its predictable growing pattern. The Spacemaster also holds up extremely well in hot, humid weather, making it ideal for warmer locations.
The plant usually needs a bit of support in the way of a stake or trellis when it reaches full fruit load. As with all cucumber plants, pick often to keep the plant producing. Affiliate Seed Link: Spacemaster Cucumber Seeds
Listen In To Our Podcast Below On How To Grow An Amazing Crop Of Cucumbers!
A Few Key Planting & Growing Tips – The Top 3 Cucumbers To Grow To Make Pickles
When growing cucumbers, it’s vital to allow the soil to warm up before planting. Planting seeds is actually a more viable and easier option than transplants. Seeds germinate quickly in warm soil, and the plants do not have to worry about transplant shock. See: How To Plant Cucumbers From Seed – And Why It’s The Best Way To Grow Cucumbers!
Cucumber seeds and plants can really benefits from a little extra care when planting. Adding in compost at the time of planting will help the seeds or transplants develop quickly. It’s also important to loosen the soil and add additional amendments like worm castings and coffee grounds to help power early growth.
Fertilize with an all purpose liquid fertilizer every two weeks at half of the recommended dose. This low but consistent feeding will help keep the plant supplied with nutrients – but won’t overpower it. Too many nutrients at once can actually make the plant stop or slow new bloom production.
Water well when first establishing to help the roots spread rapidly. Full sun and warm soil are also a must for fast, healthy growth. Finally, always locate your plants in a location that receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight each day. Here’s to growing great cucumbers this year – and making a lot of delicious pickles!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!