April 24, 2026, 1:09 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Sometimes you find them in so-called rescue bags at the supermarket, at farmers’ markets, and even in your garden during your own harvest—crooked cucumbers. They taste just like straight cucumbers, but they look less appealing. But why do some cucumbers grow crooked in the first place? And can it be prevented?
A perfect cucumber has its advantages. It’s easier to peel, and the uniform slices can be placed on a sandwich without any trouble. Crooked cucumbers, however, taste just as good; they just don’t look as perfect. myHOMEBOOK spoke with Marie Diederich about this. She is known as “Wurzelwerk” on social media as a garden influencer and is also an author.
Why Cucumbers Sometimes Grow Crooked
Cucumbers are quite sensitive. Anyone who has planted cucumbers in their own garden will have noticed this. A little too little sun or forgetting to water them for a day—and the plants start to wither. Sometimes you can save them, but then the cucumbers are often crooked and bent.
Related: 3 Common Mistakes When Watering Cucumbers
“Cucumbers often grow crooked because they are not equally well supplied everywhere—one side gets more water or nutrients and grows faster, while the other side lags behind,” explains Marie Diederich. “It’s a bit like muscle training: If you only train one arm, it will eventually become uneven.” It can also happen that the cucumber doesn’t have enough space to grow because it’s lying on the ground and bumping into something.
What You Can Do About Crooked Cucumbers
Crooked cucumbers don’t taste worse just because they look different. Still, you might want to prevent them from growing crooked. Marie shares some tips to increase the chances of growing straight cucumbers:
- To ensure cucumbers grow nice and straight, you should water them regularly.
- You should also provide cucumbers with fertilizer so that they receive all the nutrients they need.
- A trellis can help ensure cucumbers have enough space to grow and hang. Since they don’t bump into anything, they are more likely to grow straight.