All About Cucumbers

Juicy, crispy, crunchy, firm. Fresh or pickled, cucumbers are a gardener's favorite! Ease of growing and high productivity make this beloved vegetable a must for every gardener.

All cucumbers belong to the genus/species Cucumis sativus. There are three main categories of cucumbers, pickling, slicing, and burpless/seedless and many varieties within each category. Most cucumbers require pollination to produce fruit while those that are seedless are considered parthenocarpic which means they can produce fruit without fertilization thus not producing seeds. In botanical terms, the cucumber is classified as a pepo, a type of berry with a hard outer rind and no internal divisions.

If you are growing cucumbers from seed, start them indoors 4 weeks before our last average frost which is May 15 in our area. Plant transplants outdoors when danger of frost has passed, and the nighttime temperatures exceed 50 degrees F. Cucumbers are a warm season crop and do appreciate warm soil to sink their root into. Bush type cucumbers are best for small gardens or containers while vining cucumbers form long vines that need space to grow out or a trellis that provides support to grow up.

Always grow in a full-sun location. Plant in rich garden soil or raised beds amended with Purple Cow Activated Compost. Use Tonka Terra for container plantings. Soak thoroughly when watering avoiding excess moisture on the leaves as this can create perfect conditions for powdery mildew.

Harvest cucumbers when they reach your preferred size. To avoid damage, cut fruit from the vine rather than pull. Don't allow the fruits to become overripe on the vine as this signals that it is time for seeds to develop and not to produce additional fruit. Keep mature cucumber fruits picked to encourage further production. During hot weather cucumbers grow very fast, you may need to harvest every day. Harvest the cucumber fruits early in the morning before the sun hits them for the best flavor and texture. If you leave cucumbers on the vine too long, their flavor will suffer, and overall yield may decline.

Check out the varieties we are growing at Tonkadale this year!

Homemade Pickle

Highly productive early harvest makes this the ideal pickling cucumber. Pick when 2-6" long. Perfect interior texture for pickles but can also be eaten fresh. 4'-5' compact vines can be grown in gardens, raised beds or containers. Resistant to anthracnose, angular leaf spot, cucumber mosaic virus, downy mildew, and powdery mildew.

Use	Type	Fruit Size	Days to Harvest
Pickling, fresh	Bush	Up to 6 in	55

Patio Snacker

Patio Snacker is a well branched, short, vining variety perfect for large containers with small trellises. This fast-growing plant produces early, continuous high yields of 8-in. dark green fruit with great flavor and a nice crunch. Harvest when 2 inches long for pickling.

Use	Type	Fruit Size	Days to Harvest
Pickling, fresh	Vining	Up to 8 in	40

Straight 8

An All-American Selection winner with cool, firm flesh, and a bright, sparky taste. For peak flavor harvest when 8 inches long.

Use	Type	Fruit Size	Days to Harvest
Pickling, fresh	Vining	6-8 in	60

Telegraph English

This thin-skinned English cucumber was developed in the 1800s. Adds cool, mild flavor and snappy crunch to salads and sandwiches. Grow on a trellis.

Use	Type	Fruit Size	Days to Harvest
Fresh, salads, sandwiches.	Vining	up to 18 in	60

Unagi

Unagi is the cucumber you didn't know you needed, but now can't live without. Glossy, spineless cukes with tiny seed cavities, crisp texture, and excellent flavor. A prolific yielder of remarkably straight, uniform fruits. Harvest at 9–11" long (or smaller, if you prefer). Stays crisp and delicious up to 14".

Use	Type	Fruit Size	Days to Harvest
Pickling, fresh, slicing	Vining	9-11 in	55