Gherking

Family: Cucurbitaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Gherking to a garden.

Crisp and intensely refreshing, Gherking Beit Alpha Cucumber delivers a cool, clean crunch with a bright, lightly sweet flavor at peak pickling size.

Expect slender, dark-green fruits with a subtly bumpy, gherkin-like texture that holds its snap beautifully for preserves. Grow it for abundant, quick harvests—ideal for gardeners who want a reliable, garden-to-jar bounty from a vigorous vine.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 50 DaysHabit: Vine

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Gherking Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Direct Sow	Jun 15th	Aug 4th – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	Direct Sow	Jun 8th	Jul 28th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Direct Sow	May 29th	Jul 18th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Direct Sow	May 29th	Jul 18th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Direct Sow	Jun 2nd	Jul 22nd – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Direct Sow	May 29th	Jul 18th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Direct Sow	May 27th	Jul 16th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Direct Sow	May 22nd	Jul 11th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Direct Sow	May 18th	Jul 7th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 4th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Direct Sow	May 9th	Jun 28th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Direct Sow	May 4th	Jun 23rd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Direct Sow	Apr 24th	Jun 13th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Direct Sow	Apr 15th	Jun 4th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Direct Sow	Apr 6th	May 26th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Direct Sow	Mar 20th	May 9th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Direct Sow	Feb 23rd	Apr 14th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	50
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Vine
Support Needed	Trellis
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	65
Min Night Temp (°F)	55
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

At pickling size, this Beit Alpha style cucumber stays tight and crisp—its bumpy texture holds up through vinegar so you get a real snap, not a limp bite. Use it when you want that cool, lightly sweet crunch to cut through sharp, briny, and creamy flavors.

Best Uses

quick-pickles (fridge or pantry) where you want the firmest snap
jarred gherkins-style preserves and relish that stays crunchy
thin rounds in vinegary salads (won’t go watery like larger cucumbers)
snappy crudités for hot spreads and smoky dips

Flavor Profile

cool, clean crunch bright lightly sweet flavor subtly bumpy, gherkin-like snap refreshing mildness with a quick bite

Kitchen Pairings

white vinegar garlic black pepper mustard seed fresh mint yogurt or labneh

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most often affects Cucumis sativus (gherkin) and how can I control it?

Cucumis sativus commonly gets powdery mildew (white dusting on leaves) and downy mildew (yellow patches under leaves), especially when nights are humid. Start by spacing plants for airflow and watering at the soil line (not the foliage), then remove the most affected leaves early. If it keeps spreading, use an appropriate fungicide labeled for cucumbers/ powdery mildew and repeat according to the label interval; harvest usable fruit first rather than leaving diseased vines to continue infecting new growth.

How often should I water gherkins during the main growing phase?

During flowering and fruit set (roughly weeks 3–7), keep soil consistently evenly moist—about 1 to 2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of water per week total, adjusted for your weather. Water deeply 1–3 times per week so the root zone stays damp, then pause only if the top 1 inch (2–3 cm) of soil dries out. Irregular watering leads to bitter fruit and misshapen gherkins, so avoid letting vines swing between very wet and very dry.

How do I know when Cucumis sativus gherkins are ready to harvest?

Harvest gherkins when they’re still young and firm—typically around 50 days from sowing—aiming for small, evenly sized fruits before they start to enlarge and soften. Pick every 1–2 days once production begins, because Cucumis sativus quickly moves from “tender” to “too big,” which reduces crispness. Use a knife or snip to avoid tearing vines, and harvest in the morning for the best firmness.