17 Best Cucumber Varieties That are Easiest to Grow

When it comes to yummy cucumbers, there are usually two different types: slicing, which are usually larger cucumbers up to 12 inches in length; and pickling, which are usually up to six inches in length.

If you’re new to gardening and interested in the best cucumber varieties that are easy to grow, you’ve come to the right place.

There are dozens of cucumbers that even a novice can grow successfully, and below are 17 of the best cucumber varieties to start growing in your veggie garden!

1. Bush Pickle (Pickling)

The Bush Pickle cucumber grows in about 50 days and is deep green in color. It gets to roughly 4.5 inches long and is very crisp and tasty.

This cucumber variety is perfect for containers and it has a classic look and taste that most people love.

The Bush Pickle produces compact vines that get to roughly two feet in length.

2. Carolina (Fresh or Pickling Cucumber)

The Carolina is a hybrid cucumber that is medium green in color and gets to 5 or 6 inches in length. It is very resistant to cucumber disease and grows abundantly in around 50 days.

3. Straight Eight (Slicing, Pickling)

You can use Straight Eight cucumbers for both slicing and pickling. They get up to 6 to 9 inches in length and are 2.5 inches in diameter.

Their straight, deep-green appearance makes them a real eye-catcher, and they have a small seed cavity for those who don’t like to eat a lot of seeds when eating cucumbers.

4. Sweet Success (Slicing)

If you love extra-sweet cucumber varieties, the Sweet Success is for you!

It grows in roughly 60 days and has lots of sweetness but no bitterness. It also has skin that is so thin you won’t have to peel it before you eat it. Sweet Success cucumbers are 12 to 14 inches long and are seedless.

5. Marketer (Slicing Cucumber)

Marketer cucumbers are smooth, slender, and dark green in color. They grow in 55 days and get to 8 or 9 inches in length.

This is one of the best cucumber varieties for warm southern climates and it has won numerous awards.

6. National Pickling (Pickling)

This bush crop cucumber grows in 53 days and is 5 to 7 inches in length.

The National Pickling cucumber produces dark green fruit that is perfect for dill pickles and sweet pickles, and it is solid and very crispy in texture. 

7. Dasher II (Slicing Cucumber)

These dark green cucumbers get up to roughly 8 inches long and take less than two months to grow.

Dasher cucumbers are slim and have a great flavor, and they produce abundantly, so you’ll be able to enjoy lots of them once you notice them in your garden. This is the perfect all-purpose slicing cucumber that is absolutely yummy.

8. Fanfare (Space Saver)

The Fanfare cucumber variety is very disease-tolerant, which makes it a very popular cucumber variety for novice growers.

It is a uniform green color with no yellow in it, and it is smooth and slender. The Fanfare cucumber grows to roughly 8 or 9 inches in length.

9. Raider (Slicing)

Raider cucumbers grow in about 50 days and are perfect for salads and eating plain. They do especially well in cool climates and are smooth with a glossy, dark green appearance.

If you live in Canada or the northern part of the United States (see the USDA Hardiness Map!), this is one of the best cucumber varieties to choose.

10. Regal (Pickling)

Because it is resistant to most diseases, the Regal cucumber is perfect for novice growers. It has a long, slim shape that makes it a great cucumber variety for whole pickles or pickle chips, and it produces in 48 to 52 days.

11. Sugar Crunch (Slicing)

This crunchy, light-skinned fruit has a mild flavor and tastes best when picked at around 4 to 5 inches long.

Its skin is smooth and light in color, and you can use it for pickling as well as for slicing and eating. In fact, Sugar Crunch cucumbers are the perfect all-around cucumber because they are so versatile.

12. Summer Dance (Burpless)

With a length of roughly 8 inches, this cucumber variety produces tons of fruit and is great for all growing regions.

Summer Dance produces a uniform fruit that goes well in salads and for pickling, and you get your first fruits 60 days after transplanting.

13. Bush Champion (Space Saver)

Perfect for growing in containers or small gardens, this cucumber grows in 60 to 80 days and has a bright green color. It is 9 to 11 inches long and is a compact plant that is perfect for gardeners who don’t have a lot of space to grow vegetables.

14. County Fair 83 (Pickling)

With a full, sweet flavor and very few seeds, the County Fair cucumber gets up to roughly 3 inches long and is perfect for chips, spears, and pickling whole.

The cucumber has no bitterness and a mild flavor and is easy to digest.

15. Orient Express (Burpless)

This fruit appears after 64 days and is slim, straight, and dark green in color. It grows to 12 to 14 inches in length and has a very mild but yummy taste. The skin is so thin on this type of cucumber that peeling it is not necessary before eating it.

16. Potluck (Space Saver)

This is another bush cucumber that is perfect for small gardens, and it can be grown in containers as well. Potluck cucumbers are 6 to 7 inches long, straight, and medium to dark green in color. They grow in 50 to 58 days.

17. Straightmaster (Space Saver)

Perfect for small gardens, the Straightmaster cucumber is dark green in color and very smooth. The plant itself only gets to around 24 inches tall and wide, and they grow roughly 7 to 8 inches in length.

If you choose this variety of cucumber, make sure that you pick them regularly so they don’t become misshapen.

What’s your favorite go-to cucumber variety?

I’ve been having great success with some of the paler cucumber varieties like White Wonder and Lemon – I find that the wildlife doesn’t go for the white fruits as much. They may be tricked into thinking that these cucumbers aren’t ripe yet – so they leave them alone!

Do you have any tips or tricks for fellow cucumber growers?

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