Yes — Strong Match
cucumber (zones 2-11) covers every zone Ohio contains (5b-7a), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Cucumber in Ohio — the short answer
Cucumber in Ohio: hardy in zones 2–11, full sun, against a state median of ~208 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 2-11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Ohio zones
- 5b-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 5 - Apr 13 – Oct 31 - Nov 6
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 182 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 60 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Ohio spans zones 5b-7a, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score cucumber against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
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Ohio is not one climate
A single Ohio answer averages 88 counties whose growing seasons are 57 days apart — from 182 frost-free days in Columbiana County to 239 in Cuyahoga County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what cucumber can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 88 counties runs 201–214 days, with a median of 208 days — a 57-day span end to end.
Measured across 88 Ohio counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in Ohio Fits Best
Even within Ohio's zones 5b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for cucumber (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Cucumber Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Frost-Free Days: 40+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Picking window: ~35 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Ohio Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 5 - Apr 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 6
- Annual Rainfall: 34-42 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay loam, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Cucumber in Ohio
The frost window
Across Ohio, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 201-day window you can count on — up to 215 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when cucumber goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 3 weeks ahead, so counting back from Ohio's late-side last freeze of Apr 13 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 60 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 141 days to spare even in Ohio's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says cucumber survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Cucumber wants 40+ frost-free days; a typical Ohio site sees ~208 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Cucumber needs ~1100 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2921 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Ohio's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Cucumber tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.5-8.7) — 4.2 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Ohio. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Ohio soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Ohio site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Ohio soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant cucumber for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before cucumber goes in. What follows is Ohio’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Ohio — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Ohio — 49,306 documented sites across 8 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 669 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Ohio carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Ohio
Severity Distribution
across Ohio
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Ohio, two things run higher than the national average across Ohio — Toxics Release Inventory (4,234 sites) and Superfund (669 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Toxics Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Cucumber in Ohio
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Ohio growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Ohio grower, not just cucumber — is covered on the Ohio growing guide.
Timing shifts within Ohio
Cucumber needs about 40 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Columbiana County — Ohio’s shortest season at 182 frost-free days — clears that by 142 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Ohio. What varies is your own parcel.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Cucumber's 40-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Cucumber draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, cucumber can only work that bloom inside Ohio's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 5 - Apr 13) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 6), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Ohio Cooperative Extension
For Ohio-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for cucumber, the canonical source is Ohio State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Cucumber native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cucumber as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Ohio growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
What pests threaten cucumber in Ohio?
Spotted lanternfly and squash bug are documented in Ohio and will find cucumber, but they are manageable here. What an experienced grower watches for, and does:
Spotted lanternfly
Worth watchingNymphs do feed on this one — Penn State names cucumber, basil, horseradish, raspberries and asparagus among the vegetables and herbs they visit — but damage is seldom reported, and only under very high populations. The bigger garden problem is indirect: honeydew raining down from a tree above, and the sooty mold that grows on it.
What to do: Penn State's own first instruction is to avoid overreacting. Move the bed or the container out from under whatever tree the lanternflies have chosen, rinse honeydew off the leaves below, and save the real work for egg masses and grapevines.
Documented range: states with established spotted lanternfly populations · Penn State Extension
Squash bug
Worth watchingSquash bugs will feed on any cucurbit — the University of Illinois says all members of the family — but they prefer squash and pumpkins, so a cucumber or melon planting is usually the second thing they find, not the first.
What to do: Let the squash rows do the scouting: check them first, and when egg clusters show up there, start checking leaf undersides here too. Crush eggs on sight and keep debris cleared.
Here: In Ohio that second clean-up lands around Oct 31 - Nov 6, when the first 28°F freeze typically ends the cucumber — pulling the vines then is what strips the overwintering shelter, and leaving them is what stocks next season.
Documented range: the United States · University of Illinois IPM, University of Minnesota Extension
Only pests whose documented range and host relationship both trace to a primary source appear here — so a quiet section means we have nothing sourced to tell you, not that your garden is pest-free.
Common Questions About Growing Cucumber in Ohio
When can I plant Cucumber in Ohio?
Ohio's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Cucumber mature before first frost in Ohio?
Yes — Cucumber matures in 60 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Ohio's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 201 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 141 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Cucumber grown in across Ohio?
Ohio spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Cucumber carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Ohio site have?
A typical Ohio site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Cucumber needs 40+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Cucumber native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Cucumber as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Cucumber in Ohio?
Cucumber tolerates pH 4.5-8.7 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 4.2-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Ohio site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Cucumber actually grow on my specific land in Ohio?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores cucumber against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Ohio
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores cucumber against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Ohio cucumber averages can't show:
We read public map data around Ohio — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Ohio cucumber average
Explore More
Growing guides for cucumber
Explore Ohio county by county
Ohio carries 88 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for cucumber there:
Where else cucumber grows
Cucumber's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Ohio in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Ohio
Ohio has a growing page for 893 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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