Richmond River Green Apple Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Also known as: Richmond River, Australian Apple Cucumber


An old Australian heirloom from the Richmond River region of northern New South Wales — a round, apple-shaped cucumber with pale green skin and crisp, cool white flesh. Best picked young at around 10cm across, when the whole fruit sits neatly in the hand and can be sliced into rounds or eaten out of the crisper like a piece of fruit. Left to grow beyond that, the fruit swells impressively but turns seedy and loses its clean flavour. A dependable climber for the summer trellis, and one of the few genuinely Australian heirloom cucumbers still in wide cultivation. Climbing vine — best on a trellis for straight fruit and clean picking.

Days to harvest 60–70 days from sowing
Fruit size Round, apple-shaped, best picked young at around 10cm 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 — avoid heavy fertiliser
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost — sow after last frost only

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with a trellis suits it best. Cucumbers of this type reward steady moisture and gentle handling far more than heavy feeding.

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 hangs straight, keeps clean, and is easy to spot and pick before it goes past its prime.

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 — drip irrigation is ideal. Overhead watering invites mildew, which cucumbers are prone to in humid weather. Side-dress lightly with a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts, but avoid heavy nitrogen.

Harvest: Pick every two to three days once fruiting begins, cutting fruit at around 10cm across for the tenderest eating. Larger fruit turn tough and seedy, and slow the plant down, so pick even the ones you don't need. Fresh use only.

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

Key features

  • Round apple-shaped fruit with pale green skin
  • Crisp, cool, mild-flavoured white flesh
  • One of the few documented Australian heirloom cucumbers
  • Excellent for fresh eating out of hand
  • Vigorous climbing vine — well suited to trellis growing
  • Long cropping window when kept picked

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. A staggered sowing three to four weeks after the first extends the picking window into autumn.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Sensitive to frost — sow after last frost only

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


An old Australian heirloom cucumber from the Richmond River region of northern New South Wales, where it was grown by settler families and kept in continuous cultivation through the twentieth century. One of the small handful of vegetable heirlooms with a genuinely Australian pedigree — carried forward today by heirloom seed keepers as much for its origin story as for its clean flavour and reliable cropping.