Cucumber - Lemon Cucumber (Cucumis sativus 'Lemon') Organic Lemon Cucumbers Heirloom Vegetable
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Cucumber - Lemon Cucumber (Cucumis sativus 'Lemon') Lemony Cucumbers Heirloom Vegetable
Annual
Height 1.5 M
Lemon cucumbers are believed to have originated in India or the Middle East in the 16th century as referenced by ancient Middle Eastern texts; they were then introduced to the North America in the early 1900s. Despite the name, lemon cucumbers are not citrus flavoured - they taste like the traditional green cucumbers but often considered a little less bitter. Fruits have a mild, sweet flavour, crisp texture with non-bitter and thin skins. Plants produce loads of tennis ball sized pastel yellow coloured fruit that are the same colour, and shape as pale lemons.
Cool and refreshing, very young Lemon cucumbers are delicious eaten right from the garden like a fresh crispy apple or they make excellent crunchy pickles; very popular when sliced thinly and used in fresh green salads, tofu salads, zucchini and pea salads, or served fresh with basil pesto. Lemon cucumbers can also be juiced and used in cocktails, and smoothies. Vigorous Lemon cucumber vines grow from 6 to 8 ft, and can easily be trained up a trellis or use strings for easy harvesting.
- Full sun
- Amend soil with aged manure or compost.
- Typically it is recommended to sow these seeds directly outside
- Start seeds indoors 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost date, plant roughly 1 in deep in biodegradable containers so as not to disturb the roots when planted outdoors. Transplant outdoors after all risk of frost has passed in rows or hills
- Spacing: 36 to 60 in
- OR direct sow after all risk of frost has passed. Sow groups of 2 to 3 seeds, 1 in deep and 18 in apart. When the baby seedlings are 2 in tall, thin out extras, leaving one strong seedling per group. After thinning, provide a 3 to 5 ft strong vertical support or tomato cage around each seedling and train the vines up the supports as they grow.
- Note: growing vigorous, heavy-bearing cucumber vines up supports makes it easier to harvest the cucumbers, saves garden space, and helps prevent disease.
- Protect seedlings from birds.
- Shallow-rooted cucumbers need adequate and consistent moisture to produce sweet tasting, nicely formed cucumbers. Avoid overly wet or dry periods for good quality fruits.
- Matures in 60 to 65 days
- Harvest: for best quality, sweet tasting fruits, be sure to pick young lemon cucumbers when they are still pale green with just a hint of lemon color on their skins. Bright yellow fruits are pretty but when overmature, they will have tough skins and seeds.
- Seeds: store harvested cucumber seeds (after drying on a paper towel), in a cool, dark, dry place in an airtight container to keep out moisture and humidity, until replanting.
- Seed Count: 15