Seeds, Cucumber Lemon (West Coast Seeds)

Attractive heirloom cucumbers are small and round with lemon coloured skin. The lime-green flesh is very mild, sweet and never bitter. Very nice for slicing and easy to digest. Lemon cucumber seeds produce a vigorous long vine that does well on a trellis or fence. This productive variety was introduced to the US market from Australia by Samuel Wilson in 1894. Plants may become quite sprawly, but the fruit production is incredibly vigorous. Be sure to keep plants carefully picked so that no fruits are allowed to mature on the vine. This will lengthen the fruiting period.

Matures in 70 days

Season Warm season

Exposure Full-sun

Timing
Cucumbers need very warm soil to germinate. If direct sowing, wait until mid-June. If weather turns cool and wet after that, just re-sow. Or start transplants indoors in individual peat or coir pots 3-4 weeks before transplanting out into warm soil. If starting indoors, use bottom heat. Transplant when the plants develop their third true leaf. If the plants are too big, they may experience transplant shock. Optimal soil temperature for germination (and transplanting): 15-30°C (60-85°F).

Starting
Sow 3-4 seeds 2cm (1″) deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest seedling. Space plants 23cm (9″) apart in rows 90cm (36″) apart.

Companion Planting
Plant cucumbers beside asparagus, beans, Brassicas, celery, corn, dill, kohlrabi, lettuce, onion, peas, radish, and tomatoes. Avoid planting near potatoes and sage. Both corn and sunflowers can act as a trellis for cucumbers to good effect. Dill will help cucumbers by attracting predatory insects, and nasturtiums is said to improve the flavour and growth of cucumbers.