Cucumber Plant Flowering Too Early – Causes & Fixes

Let’s face it, some plants are easier to grow than others, and for some, cucumber plants can be a bit more challenging. This is because, with cucumber plants, you do not only need to worry about the plant’s growth but also that it is developing properly. But what about cucumber plants flowering too early?

Cucumbers can suffer from early flowering can be caused by cold temperatures, as well as a lack of nutrients and water. Rapid development can cause the plant to eventually die off and rush its production.

Trust me, you do not want a cucumber plant to grow or develop flowers too quickly. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about cucumber plants flowering too early. 

Why Is My Cucumber Flowering Early? 

Many potential factors may lead to your cucumber plant flowering too early. The most common problem for gardeners is possibly taking their young cucumber plants outside too early, especially for those living in cooler climates. This is because cucumbers are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. Waiting until consistently warm weather is a good idea when moving your cucumber plants outdoors. 

Occasionally other factors could potentially lead to your cucumber plants flowering early. Things that stress a plant during development, such as a sudden lack of nutrients or water, could cause a plant to flower early to rush seed production.

This is a sort of defense mechanism that plants will occasionally do as a way to reproduce before they die. Luckily though, a cucumber plant flowering early is usually not the sign of a plant’s imminent death, and it is just a sign that you need to make some alterations to help your plant grow and develop properly. 

When Should A Cucumber Plant Start Flowering? 

Generally speaking, most cucumber plants should flower between 42 and 62 days after germination. If your cucumber is flowering before 42 days after germination or still hasn’t flowered after 62 days, then that is a sign that your plant is not developing properly.

Typically male flowers will appear before female flowers in cucumber plants, and clipping off male flowers periodically will encourage proper development and fruit production in your cucumber plants. 

Should I Pinch Off Early Cucumber Flowers? 

Yes, you should pinch off early cucumber flowers, especially if your cucumber starts to flower early. Pinching off these early flowers will encourage stem growth and leaf development.

This will prevent your cucumber plant from being too small. Many gardeners also suggest pinching off any flowers close to the plant’s base because this will help keep your cucumbers off of the ground. 

Should I Pick The Flowers Off My Cucumber Plants? 

In addition to pinching off early cucumber flowers, you will also want to pinch off flowers when your plant grows them in large amounts. This is partly because too many flowers can inhibit fruit production and because too many male flowers can sometimes give cucumbers a bitter taste.

Picking off flowers when your cucumber plant seems to have an excessive amount will prevent your cucumbers from having a bitter taste. It will also encourage your cucumber plants to produce healthy cucumbers. 

Can A Cucumber Plant Have Too Many Flowers? 

Yes, a cucumber plant can have too many flowers. An excess of flowers could prevent cucumber plants from developing fruit properly.

Cucumber plants often develop more male flowers than female ones, which means that too many male flowers could inhibit a female flower’s ability to produce fruit. Additionally, too many female flowers, which occur in the gynoecious cucumber varieties, can impact fruit production and quality.

How Long After A Cucumber Plant Flowers Do You Get Cucumbers? 

On average female cucumber flowers will take about 10 to 12 days to produce fruit. From there, the cucumbers will slowly grow in size and then ripen.

You can usually expect to harvest your first cucumbers anywhere between 50 and 70 days after first planting your cucumber plant. It is important to remember that larger cucumber varieties generally take longer to produce ripe fruits than smaller varieties of cucumber plants. 

Things To Consider 

There are some more things that gardeners may need to consider about growing cucumber plants and running into some problems. These things include why cucumber plants are too small and why there are flowers on your cucumber plants but no actual cucumbers. Here are some additional things to consider about cucumber plants flowering too early. 

Why Are My Cucumber Plants Small? 

Usually, a cucumber plant being too small results from improper development and poor growing conditions for the plant. This could result from temperatures that are too cold, insufficient water or nutrition, or even damage from insects.

Gardeners suggest that you look at the condition that your cucumber plant is in to figure out the root cause of their poor growth. Luckily, these things can usually be corrected with no harm done when found early on.

Why Are There Flowers On My Cucumber Plant But No Cucumbers? 

There are a few reasons why your cucumber plant is flowering but not producing fruits. The most common reason is that a cucumber plant has an imbalance of male and female flowers.

Most cucumber plants have too many male flowers, which inhibits the female flowers from producing cucumbers. Additionally, on some rare occasions, a lack of male flowers can keep female flowers from producing fruits due to lack of pollination. The lack of pollinators in your area, mainly bees, can also keep cucumber plants from producing cucumbers in some cases.

However, pollination is not the only thing that can impact a cucumber plant’s fruit production. Anything that causes a cucumber plant to develop improperly can also lead to improper flowering, which leads to no fruit production.

Usually, this is due to improper temperatures or nutrition, especially when the temperature is too cold or your fertilizer has too much nitrogen in it. Cold temperature and soil too rich in nitrogen are possibly the most common mistakes that gardeners make when growing their first cucumber plants.