Looking for the Best Cucumber Variety

[heirloomgal]

Searching around looking for different cucumber varieties to grow this year, any colour really, that have great taste and texture. I've thus far tried Poona Kheera, Miniature White, National Pickling, Boothby's Blonde. I'd like to stick with OP types so I can save the seeds. There are so many out there to consider. Anybody have favourite cucumbers that they prefer to grow?

 

[digitS']

I like the Beit Alpha cucumbers. Muncher has done very well for me, I'd guess, about 10 seasons.

There are several varieties of this type. One that I tried just didn't make a very good start before the weather turned cool. Muncher hasn't had this problem once - a nice long season of harvest.

Lemon cucumbers are both tasty and fun. Folks have to think to pick them before they really begin to look like a lemon. They become quite seedy at that point.

Both of these would count as mild-flavored but that's what I like . I can snack on a big, American slicer on most any summer afternoon. A couple of these smaller types will serve even better.

Steve

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I like the Beit Alpha cucumbers. Muncher has done very well for me, I'd guess, about 10 seasons.

There are several varieties of this type. One that I tried just didn't make a very good start before the weather turned cool. Muncher hasn't had this problem once - a nice long season of harvest.

Lemon cucumbers are both tasty and fun. Folks have to think to pick them before they really begin to look like a lemon. They become quite seedy at that point.

Both of these would count as mild-flavored but that's what I like . I can snack on a big, American slicer on most any summer afternoon. A couple of these smaller types will serve even better.

Steve

I personally find lemon cukes a little bitter. If you want a ball shaped cuke, your probably better with Crystal Apple, Richmond Apple or Dragon's Egg.

I'm usually happiest with Kiva type cucumbers, the ones with the brown crackly rinds (like Poona Kheera). Most of these are unfortunately from India or Southeast Asia, and hence more heat loving than anything you could grow. But there are a few that cross over into Russian/Soviet territory, and might work. We grew Brown Russian last year, and were very happy with it. There is also Little Potato, and Kaiser Alexandre (the most northerly and hence cold tolerant of them all, but unfortunately a little hard to find.)

Next season I am planning to go with Russian Netted (which is a Kiva AND a ball shaped) but again, that is hard to come by (so hard in fact, that I'd probably have to do another general web search to find it again, and even if I did, I'm not sure the company ships to Canada.)

 

[Zeedman]

We don't eat many cukes, and I don't like bitterness in cucumbers (which admittedly, shouldn't matter to someone who eats bitter melon. ) For slicers, we usually grow WI 5207, a burbless variety bred in Wisconsin - it has a flavor & soft texture that makes it DW's favorite. I also grow a few of the long Japanese types such as Yamato Long and Nippon Sanjaku Kiuri (also burbless), but those are mostly for seed & sharing.

For pickling, I've permanently given up cucumbers, in favor of Liso Calcutta gherkins. They are completely sweet & super-crunchy raw, and very slow to develop seed. Unlike cukes, the center stays crisp when pickled, even if canned cold-pack. They sprawl on the ground much like pickling cucumbers, and root at the nodes. The tendrils are small, so I don't know if the vines could be trained upward... we intend to experiment with that this year.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh Steve, @digitS' glad you mentioned Munchers. I planted some a few days ago and wasn't very happy but that's all the seeds I had. Hope they do as well for me as they do for you.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Crystal Apple, Richmond Apple or Dragon's Egg.

I see that West Coast Seed has Crystal Apple. I've been trying for several years to come up with a few varieties to warrant an order from that company.

I also see "that seed outfit" that recently bought out Kitazawa has the same Crystal Apple but they posted a picture with a cut cucumber at the same seedy stage that I avoid with Lemons. Why they think that's an incentive for the public to buy, is beyond me. (And yet, it might be an incentive for heirloomgal since she's a seed-saver ).

Steve

 

[heirloomgal]

Muncher has done very well for me, I'd guess, about 10 seasons.

I see that one around, I think Burpee sells it. Do you grow it outdoors? I just read that Muncher will not develop seeds in a greenhouse, which leads me to think it will if outside and pollinated by insects? It fits the profile I'm looking for - smaller, but not as small as the picklers, crisp and productive.

I'm usually happiest with Kiva type cucumbers, the ones with the brown crackly rinds (like Poona Kheera). Most of these are unfortunately from India or Southeast Asia, and hence more heat loving than anything you could grow. But there are a few that cross over into Russian/Soviet territory, and might work. We grew Brown Russian last year, and were very happy with it. There is also Little Potato, and Kaiser Alexandre (the most northerly and hence cold tolerant of them all, but unfortunately a little hard to find.)

Kiva? I'll have to research that term. I DO quite like the look of those crackly brown seed-ripe cukes though! In fact, last night I tentatively put Kaiser Alexander into my shopping cart at HHS. That is one that has stood out for a few years as I browsed through the selections, it was also the most expensive for some reason. Now that the seed prices have hiked up everywhere it is the same price as the rest. I think I may give that one a whirl. Will be my first real attempt at saving seeds from cukes. I wanna take pictures of those big, brown beasties

For slicers, we usually grow WI 5207, a burbless variety bred in Wisconsin - it has a flavor & soft texture that makes it DW's favorite. I also grow a few of the long Japanese types such as Yamato Long and Nippon Sanjaku Kiuri (also burbless), but those are mostly for seed & sharing.

We have a very popular Wisconsin cucumber here called Wisconsin SMR - 58 (I think). I really like the description and look, bit small tho. Lots of folks grow that one, but I think its main use is pickling. I've looked at those long Asian types for years, wondering. But I think given my short season, I'd wind up with cucumbers at the end of the season instead of throughout.

I see that West Coast Seed has Crystal Apple. I've been trying for several years to come up with a few varieties to warrant an order from that company.

I ordered from WCS for the first time last spring. Not sure what to make of the company, on the one hand, the prices were good, the packets were generous. But the shipping was very odd and fluctuated. Also a few of the bean packets had a lot of crushed bean seeds in them. Germination on some of those was very, very poor. I had one entire packet of beans not sprout. Peas were great though. Some upheaval in the seed market here right now, with start ups as well as new owners taking over older seed businesses.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

I was hoping you wanted a curcubit that attracted insects and fungal disease! I seem to find those every year! My best cucumber grow when the flowers have a good year!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Kiva? I'll have to research that term. I DO quite like the look of those crackly brown seed-ripe cukes though! In fact, last night I tentatively put Kaiser Alexander into my shopping cart at HHS. That is one that has stood out for a few years as I browsed through the selections, it was also the most expensive for some reason. Now that the seed prices have hiked up everywhere it is the same price as the rest. I think I may give that one a whirl. Will be my first real attempt at saving seeds from cukes. I wanna take pictures of those big, brown beasties

Yes, some of them ARE a bit on the large size. And you probably haven't even seen the BIGGEST ones (Heptagon, which I got once from Joe Simcox [and then, alas, lost to frost when I planted them too early, and after he stopped carrying them] was supposedly the size of a child's torso.)

I've also encountered Dosaki cucumbers the size of footballs, but, based on what I have seen and read, I am now convinced that Dosakis, despite being called cucumbers, are actually melons.

And I forgot to mention that besides the Russian Netted (and possibly a few Brown Russian I have left over) I also got seed this year (and may plant out) something called a Borneo Wild Jungle Cucumber. I have no idea how it will actually DO (that "Jungle" word bothers me.) but I suppose I am willing to try.

 

[heirloomgal]

I was hoping you wanted a curcubit that attracted insects and fungal disease! I seem to find those every year! My best cucumber grow when the flowers have a good year!