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Cucumbers — Cucumis sativus

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Cucumbers — Cucumis sativus

layout: base.njk title: Cucumbers description: Growing Cucumbers in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: warm-season

Quick Reference: See detailed growing information below

Type: Annual
Family: Cucurbitaceae (Gourd)
Sun: Full sun (6-8+ hours)
Water: High (1-2" per week, consistent moisture critical)
Soil pH: 6.0-6.5
Hardiness: Annual (frost-tender)

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: 3-10 lbs (varies by variety and harvest frequency)
  • Per 10' row: 30-60 lbs (4-6 plants on trellis)
  • Notes: Extremely productive with consistent water. Harvest every 1-2 days; overripe fruits reduce production. Inconsistent watering causes bitter, misshapen fruits. Mulching essential for moisture retention.

🏺 Heirloom Varieties

Slicing Cucumbers

'Marketmore 76'

  • Source: Multiple seed companies
  • Days: 60 days
  • Notes: Classic slicing cucumber. Dark green, 8-9" fruits. Crisp, sweet. Disease resistant. Reliable producer. Standard for home gardens.

'Straight Eight'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange (seedsavers.org), Baker Creek (rareseeds.com)
  • Days: 58 days
  • Notes: Introduced 1929. Dark green, perfectly straight 8" fruits. Sweet, crisp. Reliable. All-America Selections winner. Classic heirloom.

'Lemon'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure (southernexposure.com)
  • Days: 60 days
  • Notes: Round, yellow fruits resembling lemons. Mild, sweet, less watery. Beautiful. Good for people who think they don't like cucumbers. Fun for children.

'Boothby's Blond'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 58 days
  • Notes: Creamy white fruits. Sweet, tender. Heat-tolerant. Maine heirloom. Beautiful. Rare variety.

' Armenian' (Snake Melon)

  • Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Seeds (johnnyseeds.com)
  • Days: 65 days
  • Notes: Long, ribbed, pale green. Technically a melon but used as cucumber. Sweet, never bitter. Vine to 6 feet. Heat-tolerant. Unique.

'Poinsett'

  • Source: Southern Exposure, Baker Creek
  • Days: 60 days
  • Notes: Dark green, 8-9". Heat-tolerant. Disease resistant. Reliable in South. Crisp, sweet.

Pickling Cucumbers

'Boston Pickling'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 52 days
  • Notes: Classic pickling cucumber. Blocky, 3-5" fruits. Crisp, firm. Early maturing. Traditional variety. Best for classic dill pickles.

'National Pickling'

  • Source: Multiple seed companies
  • Days: 55 days
  • Notes: Dark green, 4-6". Crisp firrn. Reliable producer. Standard for commercial pickling. Good for home canning.

'Parisian Pickling'

  • Source: Baker Creek, French seed exchanges
  • Days: 50 days
  • Notes: Small, round fruits. French heirloom. Sweet, crisp. Beautiful. Good for gherkins.

'Homemade Pickles'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 52 days
  • Notes: Blocky, 3-5". Crisp, firm. Reliable. Good yield. Traditional variety.

'Calypso'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Seeds
  • Days: 50 days
  • Notes: Early pickling type. Dark green. Crisp. Disease resistant. Reliable.

'Lemon Pickling'

  • Source: Baker Creek, rare seed exchanges
  • Days: 60 days
  • Notes: Yellow, round. Mild, sweet. Beautiful pickles. Unique. Good for bread-and-butter pickles.

Specialty Varieties

'Armenian Yard-Long'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 65 days
  • Notes: Extremely long (up to 24"), pale green, ribbed. Sweet, never bitter. Vine to 6 feet. Heat-tolerant. Technically a melon but used as cucumber.

'White Wonder'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Seeds
  • Days: 58 days
  • Notes: Creamy white fruits. Sweet, tender. Beautiful. Good for people with cucumber sensitivity. Rare.

🌾 Seed Saving

Method: 1. Cucumbers must be allowed to fully mature on vine—far past eating stage 2. Fruits will become large, hard, and change color (yellow, orange, or brown) 3.

Leave on vine until skin hardens and fruit separates easily from vine; can take 4-6 weeks after normal harvest 4. Harvest before frost; cure indoors 1-2 weeks in warm, dry place 5. Cut fruit open; scoop out seeds and surrounding pulp 6.

Add water; ferment 2-3 days (viable seeds sink) 7. Pour off pulp, debris, and floating seeds 8. Rinse viable seeds in strainer 9.

Spread on glass or paper plate; dry 1-2 weeks in shaded, ventilated area 10. Store in paper envelope in cool, dry, dark place.

Note: Fruits left to mature will become hard and inedible—select specific fruits for seed saving, harvest rest for eating.

Isolation Distance: - Cross-pollinating: Cucumbers are cross-pollinated by bees - Minimum: 1/2 mile between varieties - For seed sale: 1 mile isolation or hand-pollinate and bag flowers - Note: Cucumbers won't cross with melons, squash, or pumpkins (different species)

Viability: 4-6 years under proper storage. Germination rates remain good through year 5.

Special Notes: - One cucumber yields 200-500 seeds - Save from 5-10 plants for genetic diversity - Select for flavor, crispness, disease resistance, earliness, lack of bitterness - Only save from healthy plants - Label carefully—mature seeds of different varieties look similar

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead