The beginning and the order of the harvest depend on the purpose of the fruit.
Should these as so-called. seasoning- or dill pickles can be preserved, then you harvest them mainly in the size of 6 up to 9cm.
For the production of sour cucumbers, on the other hand, fruits are suitable 9 up to a maximum of 15 cm in length is best. Using small fruits also requires very frequent harvesting. This is especially true for most hybrid strains, which one necessarily at intervals of 2 to 3 days to harvest, because the fruit gets thick relatively quickly and can then be used neither as a garnish nor as a cucumber. Gherkins are left to ripen almost completely and are usually not harvested until the beginning of September.