Pickling Cucumber (plant)

Description

We came across Homemade Pickles last season and it’s become an instant favourite! These blimp-shaped cucumbers are medium green with small white spines and a crisp interior. You can pick them at 4cm (1″) for baby sweet pickles or wait for bigger ones. In time, they can grow to around 13cm (5″) long, but maintain their appealing pickle shape. Homemade Pickles cucumber produce plants that are vigorous with excellent disease resistance and high yields. Growth habit is semi bush, may require support or trellising. Keep plants picked to keep more fruits coming over a long period. This cucumber can be eaten raw, but it is a little drier and crunchier than regular slicing cucumbers. These are the traits that make such high-quality dill pickles.  60 days.

Growing:  Cucumbers require full sun and soil pH of 6.0-6.8. As they are heavy feeders, an application of compost or well-rotted manure worked into the planting area will help. Regular applications of a complete soluble fertilizer during the growing season is beneficial. Plants should not be allowed to wilt. Make sure they are well-watered before transplanting. Spread a mulch around plants before they start to vine, to cut down on weeds and conserve moisture. The mulch will also help to keep the fruit clean.

Harvest:  Pick slicing cucumbers when they reach 6-8 inches long; pickling types at 3-5 inches. Keep mature cucumbers picked off the vines to encourage a longer yield. Harvest cucumbers for pickling early in the morning.

Pests & Diseases:  Striped or spotted cucumber beetles can emerge from the soil in spring and nibble on the leaves and stems of emerging plants. The beetles spread bacterial wilt which causes plants to wilt and die before bearing fruit.

Companions:  Bush bean, cabbage family, corn, dill, eggplant, lettuce, radish, pea, tomato.