Giant Russian Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Also known as: Russian Giant


An unusual Russian heirloom cucumber that produces large oval fruit — up to 20cm long and 12cm across — on a vigorous, heavy-bearing vine. What makes this one distinctive is its colour and its keeping. The fruit ripens through yellow to a warm orange-brown at maturity, and unlike most cucumbers it stays crisp, sweet, and completely non-acid even at full size. Cured properly, the fruit will store for several months, so a summer glut can be held over into autumn or winter. Mildew-resistant vines keep cropping through the season. Vigorous climbing vine — best on a trellis for straight fruit and easy picking.

Days to harvest 60–70 days from sowing
Fruit size Large oval fruit, up to 20cm long and 12cm across
Sowing depth 1cm
Germination 6–10 days at soil temperature 16–35°C; best around 21–30°C
Spacing 40–60cm between plants, rows 120–150cm apart
Aspect Full sun; rich, well-drained soil around pH 6.5 — a light dressing of lime may help acidic soils
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost — sow after last frost only

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with a trellis suits it best. Giant Russian rewards steady moisture and a light hand with the fertiliser, and its late-mature colour change means the fruit can be picked at almost any stage and still eat well.

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. A light lime dressing helps on acidic soils.

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 — the heavy fruit stays cleaner and picks more easily when hanging clear of the ground.

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. Overhead watering invites mildew, though this variety is more tolerant than most. Side-dress lightly with a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts, but avoid heavy nitrogen.

Harvest: Pick fruit for fresh eating at any stage from about 15cm upwards — Giant Russian is one of the few cucumbers that stays sweet and crisp even at full size, so there's no rush to catch it small. For storage, let selected fruit mature fully on the vine until the skin turns orange-brown, cut with a length of stem, and cure in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot for a week before storing.

Timing: First fruit ready 60–70 days from sowing.

Key features

  • Large oval fruit — up to 20 × 12cm
  • Stays crisp, sweet, and non-bitter even at full size
  • Ripens through yellow to warm orange-brown at maturity
  • Stores for several months after harvest
  • Mildew-resistant vine, heavy-bearing
  • Rare among cucumbers for its long keeping and ripe-use flavour

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. Because Giant Russian holds its quality at maturity, a single sowing carries further into the season than most cucumbers — no need for staggered planting unless the goal is a very long fresh-eating window.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Annual

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


A Russian heirloom cucumber developed for the long, hot summers and short storage seasons of continental Russia, where a cucumber that could be picked large, cured, and held into autumn was worth as much as one picked small for fresh eating. Its combination of size, non-bitter flesh, and unusual keeping quality kept it in cultivation through the Soviet years and into the modern seed-saver networks that carried it out to Australian gardens. Still one of the most distinctive slicing cucumbers offered in the Australian heirloom trade.