Cucumber - German Pickling

(Cucumis sativus) - Organically Grown - Uncertified

German Pickling cucumber is a spreading vine, producing yellow tinged white fruit, pick at 8-13cm long. Can be eaten when pure white for a crispy cucumber or with a tinge of yellow for a more mature cucumber. Juicy and crisp eaten fresh, pick at young stage for pickling.

How to Grow

German Pickling Cucumber grows best in fertile well drained soil receiving full sun. Improve soil with manures, compost or fertilisers before planting. Sow seeds direct in the garden or in pots then transplant to the garden at 5cm high. When sowing cover seed with 1cm of soil and keep moist until germinated. Space 40cm apart giving them enough room to run freely. Cucumbers will begin to set after 60-80 days.

Tip: Ensure you don't fertilize too heavily with nitrogen or over water as this will promote excess leaf growth. This also tends to promote male flowers but no female flowers which are needed for fruit production.

Blossom End Rot: This will occur when there is a lack of Calcium in your soil. The plant will set fruit but it will rot at the end then drop off the plant. To avoid this use lime in your soil or you can apply a liquid fertiliser of 1L milk to a 9L watering can. Water the leaves of the plant for a fast acting remedy.

Sow Spring-Summer direct in the garden or in pots

Packet contains approx 40 seeds.

80 days to harvest

30 seed per gram

Uses

Fruit is eaten fresh as a snack, in salads or pickled. For pickling harvest when extremely young (roughly 4cm in size) and pickle as a whole cucumber (gherkin).