Lemon Cucumber

Lemon Cucumber: Unique, Mild, and Sweet Heirloom Delight

Discover the charming Lemon Cucumber, an old heirloom variety favored by many cool-season gardeners. These semi-bush-type plants, reaching 3-4 feet, yield an abundance of distinctive apple-shaped cucumbers with vibrant lemon-colored skin. The flesh inside is remarkably mild and sweet, with absolutely no bitterness. Their unique appearance and delicious flavor make them a scrumptious and colorful addition to salads. For the best taste and texture, harvest these delightful cucumbers when they are about the size of limes.

• Unique Apple Shape and Lemon Color:
  • Produces round, apple-shaped cucumbers with cheerful, bright lemon-yellow skin.
  • A visually appealing and conversation-starting addition to your garden.
• Mild and Sweet Flavor (Never Bitter):
  • Offers a consistently mild and sweet taste that is never bitter, making them enjoyable for everyone.
  • A refreshing and pleasant flavor for fresh eating.
• Scrumptious and Colorful in Salads:
  • Their unique shape and color add visual appeal and delicious flavor to fresh salads.
  • A fun and interesting ingredient to elevate your culinary creations.
• Best Harvested at Lime Size:
  • Optimal flavor and texture are achieved when the cucumbers are harvested at a size comparable to limes.
  • Enjoy them at their peak of sweetness and tenderness.
• Heirloom Variety:
  • An open-pollinated heirloom, allowing for seed saving and the continuation of this unique variety in your garden for generations.
• Health Benefits of Cucumbers:
  • Lemon Cucumber is exceptionally low in calories, aids digestion, and helps rid toxins from the body.
  • They can even help soothe skin irritations; try using a piece of cucumber skin on burns.
• Growing Information:
  • Type: Heirloom.
  • Days to Maturity: 70 days (from direct seeding).
  • Plant Height: 3-4 feet (semi-bush).
  • Fruit Shape: Apple-shaped.
  • Fruit Color: Lemon-colored.
  • Flavor: Mild, sweet, never bitter.
  • Soil Temp for Germination: 65–90°F.
  • Seed Depth: ½ inch.
  • Seed Spacing: 4–6 seeds per hill.
  • Days to Emergence: 4–13 days.
  • Thin Plants to: 1–2 plants per hill.
  • Row Spacing: 3–4 feet.
  • Fertilizer Needs: High.
  • Minimum Germination: 80%.
  • Seeds per Gram: ≈ 25–30.
  • Seed Life: 3 years.
  • Botanical Name: Cucumis sativus.
• Culture:
  • Performs best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-7.0.
  • Consistent, even watering is crucial for optimal growth and fruit development.
  • Raised beds, plastic mulch, and trellising can improve yields and keep fruit clean.
  • Incorporate a shovelful of compost and 1/2 cup of complete fertilizer per hill.
• Direct Sowing:
  • For best germination, keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.
  • Cover hills with row covers to speed up germination.
  • Thin to the strongest 1-2 plants when the first true leaves emerge.
• Transplanting:
  • Start indoors in 4-inch pots 3-4 weeks before the anticipated transplant date.
  • Avoid letting starts become root-bound; transplant carefully to minimize root disturbance.
• Harvest & Storage:
  • Consistent harvesting encourages continued production.
  • Store at 45°F and 95% relative humidity.
  • For pickling, harvest when small, before seeds form.