50+ Straight Eight Cucumber Seeds

Straight Eight Cucumber Seeds (Cucumis sativus) produce vigorous, productive vines bearing smooth, straight, dark green slicing cucumbers with crisp, fine-textured flesh, a mild flavor, and a relatively small seed cavity. Introduced as an All-America Selections winner in 1935, this dependable open-pollinated heirloom remains a popular choice for home gardens. The fruits are excellent for fresh salads, sandwiches, snacking, and pickling when harvested young. Straight Eight cucumbers typically reach 6–8 inches long and perform best when picked while firm and deep green.

Planting Season

Best planted in: Late Spring & Early Summer (Warm-Season Crop)

Sow after all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature has reached at least 60–65°F (16–18°C). Cucumbers are sensitive to frost and grow best during consistently warm weather, with ideal daytime temperatures around 75–85°F (24–29°C).

How to Grow Straight Eight Cucumber Seeds

Sow seeds directly outdoors after the last frost or start them indoors approximately 2–3 weeks before transplanting.

Use biodegradable pots or individual cells when starting indoors to reduce root disturbance.

Choose a location receiving at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Grow in loose, fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost or well-aged organic matter. A soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 is ideal.

Sow seeds approximately ½–1 inch deep.

For trellis growing, space plants approximately 12 inches apart, with rows around 30–36 inches apart.

For hill planting, sow 4–5 seeds per hill and space hills approximately 4–5 feet apart.

Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged during germination.

Maintain soil temperatures between approximately 65–85°F (18–29°C) for reliable germination.

Seeds typically germinate within 5–10 days under warm growing conditions.

Thin seedlings to the strongest plant at the recommended spacing once they are approximately 4–5 inches tall.

How to Care for Straight Eight Cucumber Plants

Water deeply and consistently, providing approximately 1–2 inches of water per week depending on rainfall, temperature, and soil type.

Maintain steady moisture during flowering and fruit development. Dry or irregular conditions may cause misshapen or bitter cucumbers.

Water near the base of the plants using drip irrigation or a soaker hose to reduce moisture on the foliage.

Prepare the planting area with compost and apply a balanced fertilizer according to soil-test recommendations.

Side-dress with a nitrogen-containing fertilizer after flowering begins, but avoid excessive nitrogen because it can produce heavy vine growth with fewer fruits.

Mulch around established plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, reduce soil compaction, and keep fruits clean.

Allow vines to spread across the ground or train them onto a sturdy trellis. Trellising improves airflow, saves garden space, and helps the cucumbers grow straighter.

Encourage bees and other pollinators, as Straight Eight plants produce separate male and female flowers that require insect pollination.

Harvest when the cucumbers are firm, dark green, and approximately 6–8 inches long. Do not allow them to become oversized or yellow.

Pick every one or two days during peak production to encourage the vines to continue flowering and producing new fruit.

Straight Eight Cucumbers typically mature in approximately 58–65 days after sowing, depending on climate and growing conditions.

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