German Pickling Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Also known as: German Gherkin, European Pickling Cucumber


The classic European pickling cucumber — short, blocky, dark-green fruit with a warty, bumpy skin and firm crisp flesh that holds its snap through brining, fermentation, and long storage in the jar. Picked young at 5–8cm for cornichons, 8–12cm for standard gherkins, or up to 15cm for dill spears. Prolific through the warm months on a vigorous vine — a single well-grown plant carries enough to fill a preserving batch, especially with regular picking. Vigorous climbing vine — best on a trellis for straight fruit and easy picking.

Days to harvest 55–65 days from sowing
Fruit size Short and blocky — picked at 5–8cm for cornichons, 8–12cm for gherkins, up to 15cm for dill spears
Sowing depth 1cm
Germination 6–10 days at soil temperature 16–35°C; best around 21–30°C
Spacing 30–45cm between plants, rows 90–150cm apart
Aspect Full sun; rich, well-drained soil around pH 6.5
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost — sow after last frost only

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with a trellis suits it best. Pickling cucumbers reward steady moisture and daily picking during peak season — miss a couple of days and the fruit run past the sizes you want for the jar.

Soil preparation: Rich, well-drained soil worked with well-rotted compost before sowing. Cucumbers dislike heavy nitrogen and respond better to a moderate, well-balanced feed than to a heavy compost hit.

Sowing method: Sow direct into warm soil at 1cm deep, or start in large pots and transplant with care — cucumbers have shallow roots that resent disturbance, so use larger pots and handle the root ball intact.

Support: A sturdy trellis, netting, or A-frame is strongly preferred. Trellised fruit stays clean, hangs straight for uniform pickling, and is easier to spot at the small sizes you want.

Containers: Suits a large pot of 40L or more with a sturdy trellis. Keep water consistent, as pots dry out faster than beds and cucumbers need steady moisture through fruit set.

Watering & feeding: Deep, consistent watering at the base — never overhead. Side-dress lightly with a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts, but avoid heavy nitrogen.

Harvest: Pick every one to two days at peak — pickling cucumbers grow fast, and a fruit that hits ideal size in the morning can be past it by the afternoon. Cut with a small stub of stem attached to help storage before processing. Choose the size for the intended pickle: 5–8cm for whole cornichons, 8–12cm for standard sweet or dill gherkins, up to 15cm for spear-cut dills.

Timing: First fruit ready 55–65 days from sowing.

Key features

  • Small blocky pickling fruit — right shape for the jar
  • Warty dark-green skin holds brine and colour well
  • Crisp, firm flesh — stays crunchy after pickling
  • Very prolific — heavy cropping across a long window
  • Multi-purpose: cornichons, gherkins, dill spears, all from one plant
  • The classic German-tradition pickler

Short season tips


Direct sow into warm ground from mid-spring to early summer once frost risk has passed. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, that means mid-November onwards. If time is tight, start seed indoors in large pots 3–5 weeks before transplanting — cucumbers resent root disturbance, so handle carefully and move on with the root ball intact. Staggered sowings three to four weeks apart concentrate the harvest into pickling batches rather than a single overwhelming rush.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Annual

  • Corn, climbing beans, nasturtium, borage, marigold, dill, radish
  • Potatoes, sage, other cucumber varieties within cross-pollination distance if saving seed


A long-established European pickling cucumber in the German tradition, where household preserving of gherkins and cornichons has been an autumn ritual for centuries. The type was refined over generations for shape, texture, and colour retention in brine — the qualities that separate a proper pickling cucumber from a slicing one. Still one of the standards for home preserving today, carried by heirloom seed keepers around the world for gardeners who want to fill their own jars.