“Cucumber seeds are getting expensive—but these old favorites still deliver huge harvests” 🥒🌿 When prices go up, real gardeners know where to turn. These classic cucumber varieties cost little, grow fast, and taste better than anything you’ll find at the store. Curious which ones have been trusted for decades? Full list and tips in the article below 👇
Lately, the prices for seeds have gone through the roof. I recently visited a store and was shocked at how expensive hybrid cucumber seeds have become. Now is a great time to remember those good old cucumber varieties and hybrids that cost little but still give you a huge harvest year after year.
Honestly, I really wish I had some of those cucumbers right now—the ones you just can’t stop looking at in the summertime.
Many gardeners over the age of 60 know these classic varieties very well and even save seeds from their own plants. I personally know a few people who have even managed to “de-hybridize” some hybrids and have been using their seeds successfully for about 15 years.
I found these trusty varieties a long time ago, but I thought now would be a perfect time to share them with you.
Today, I’m putting together this list of cucumber varieties and hybrids that I have grown myself over different seasons—and honestly, I have only good things to say about them.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying parthenocarpic hybrids a lot too. But there’s one variety from this list that has been my favorite for more than 20 years!
Oh, how I wish I had these cucumbers with me now—they’re unbeatable in the summer heat.
A Look Inside My Greenhouse
Keep reading to find out which cucumbers I grow every year because honestly, I haven’t found anything better than them yet.
Let’s start with a real people’s favorite, great for both greenhouses and open fields: Rodnichok F1.
It’s a parthenocarpic hybrid, meaning it doesn’t need pollination and still produces a ton of cucumbers.
The fruits are neat and about 8–10 cm long. Every year it gives a reliable harvest and often matches the famous “Kurazh” and “German” hybrids in terms of productivity.
The only thing is that it loves bright sunlight and doesn’t like even a little bit of shade.
It’s also perfect for canning. The green cucumbers with black spikes are just right for pickling and marinating.
Zozulya F1
Another great, inexpensive hybrid is Zozulya F1.
This one is best for salads and fresh eating. They’re also great for light salting, or just for snacking right off the vine.
To have fresh cucumbers for the whole family, you only need 3–4 plants.
Each plant can give you about 7–8 kilograms of cucumbers per season.
It produces steadily but needs to be grown outdoors or under temporary covers, because it depends on insect pollination.
April F1
April F1 is another easy-to-grow, very productive salad cucumber.
It’s parthenocarpic, so it doesn’t need bees and grows well in greenhouses.
It ripens early and gives a bunch of cucumbers all at once. The fruits grow up to 18–20 cm long. They’re sweet, crispy, and smell just like a real cucumber should.
This hybrid is mainly used for fresh salads, but it’s also great for light salting.
I once pickled some in a barrel, and they stayed good in the basement until January!
Lukhovitsky F1
If you grow Lukhovitsky F1 even once, you’ll understand it’s just as good as those expensive new hybrids.
It’s parthenocarpic, so you don’t need to worry about pollination, and it gives a dependable harvest every year.
It’s a bunch-type hybrid, meaning 3–4 cucumbers form in each leaf node.
Each plant can give up to 10 kilograms of cucumbers!
And the seeds won’t cost you an arm and a leg either.
Zasolchny
Now let’s move on to real, traditional varieties you can save seeds from—and never worry about buying new ones again.
My favorite? Zasolchny.
I grow it every year, just 2–3 plants, and I’ve been saving my own seeds for a long time now.
It’s great for fresh salads, light salting, and canning.
It doesn’t need much care. Just pop the seeds into the compost heap at the end of May, and by early August, you’re picking bucketfuls every other day.
The only thing is: during hot weather, you’ll need to water it in the morning and evening. Otherwise, the cucumbers can get a bit bitter.
Nezhinsky
Another awesome variety that grows well in any region is Nezhinsky.
I plant it only outdoors because it doesn’t do well in greenhouses.
Why? Because it grows super long vines—up to 20 meters!
But here’s the best part: the cucumbers grow mainly on these side vines, and they’re covered in big bumps and black fuzz—perfect for pickling.
It’s a bee-pollinated variety and gives a huge harvest.
There’s one little trick: once the main stem gets about a meter tall, just pinch off the top. No fancy shaping needed after that.
Just sit back and collect bucketloads of amazing cucumbers.
Muromsky 36
To finish our list today, let’s talk about Muromsky 36, an old and trusted variety.
It’s a classic pickling cucumber.
If you grow it and pickle it in a barrel, you’ll realize you’ve never really tasted great pickles until now.
It’s bee-pollinated and should be grown only outdoors.
The best way to plant it is by putting slightly sprouted seeds directly into the ground at the end of May.
I plant it right on my compost heap, don’t feed it anything extra, just pinch the main stem once at about 1.5 meters high, and water daily if there’s no rain.
And every single year, it gives me a big, beautiful harvest!
No need for complicated tricks like pruning, spraying with herbal infusions, or fussing with fertilizers. Just stick the seeds in and let them grow.
Out of all the cucumbers I’ve ever grown, this variety is definitely the easiest and most rewarding.
I should definitely plant them again next season—I know I still have some seeds tucked away somewhere!
Thanks so much for reading all the way through! If you enjoyed this list or have your own favorite cucumber varieties, leave a comment below—I’d love to hear about what you grow in your garden!
