As you remove the cucumbers’ excess foliage, you will improve light penetration because you’ll get rid of leaves that might block the sunlight from reaching lower fruits and leaves.
The optimal time to prune cucumbers is once the plants grow between 1-2 feet tall – they usually reach this height when they are about three to five weeks old.
Don’t prune all male flowers because they are still needed for pollination. Don’t trim off female flowers because they are needed for fruit production.