Lemon Cucumber Seeds
Lemon Cucumber Seeds
Lemon cucumbers have been a beloved choice in American gardens for over a century. These cucumbers reliably yield abundant harvests of pastel yellow fruit, resembling pale lemons in color, size, and shape. They boast a gentle, sweet flavor, accompanied by a crisp texture and thin, non-bitter skins. When picked very young, lemon cucumbers offer a cool and refreshing taste, akin to biting into a fresh, crispy apple.
Lemon Cucumber Seeds are great for your plantation and can be grown as big as a baseball. They are sensitive, so be careful when transplanting them, as over-watering or poor soil can kill them. These round cucumbers grow as big as a baseball and are tender and extra sweet. Bright lemon-yellow fruits are excellent in salads and for pickling.
Additionally, they can be used to create crunchy pickles. Lemon cucumber vines exhibit vigorous growth and can be conveniently trained up a trellis or strings, facilitating easy harvesting of the fruit. The seeds can be planted in suitable growing conditions to produce lemon cucumber plants, allowing gardeners to cultivate their own fresh, flavorful cucumbers at home.
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How To Grow
How To Grow
Sowing: Cucumbers are not fond of transplanting, so it's best to either start them early in peat pots or sow them directly into the ground. Begin sowing yellow lemon cucumber seeds indoors approximately 2 weeks before the last frost, planting 3-4 seeds per pot at a depth of 3.81 cm. Maintain an air temperature of at least 26.7 Celsius. Once two or three leaves have emerged on each plant, use scissors to remove all but the strongest seedling. Before planting, acclimate the seedlings to outdoor conditions by placing them outside during the day. Plant them no earlier than a week after the last spring frost, when temperatures consistently range between 18-24Celsius. If planting in hills, place three seedlings or 7-8 seeds in each hill, spacing hills 120-150 meters apart. For rows, plant seedlings 30.5 cm apart or sow 5 seeds within each foot and later thin them out.
Cucumbers thrive in warmth and are susceptible to even light frost, so protect seedlings if cold temperatures are expected. Providing a trellis for support saves garden space and produces straighter cucumbers that are easier to harvest; however, if no trellis is available, vines will sprawl across the ground. Some gardeners' interplant cucumbers with corn, as the two plants benefit each other, and cucumbers can climb the corn stalks. Planting radishes alongside cucumbers may deter cucumber beetles, but cucumbers should not be planted near potatoes or aromatic herbs.
Growing: Consistent moisture is crucial for growing healthy cucumbers, so keep the soil consistently moist. Once vines have developed, apply mulch or straw to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Be vigilant for cucumber beetles and promptly remove them to prevent damage.
Harvesting
Harvesting
When harvesting lemon cucumbers, it's best to wait until they reach their mature size, typically around 3.8 to 5.8 cm in diameter. At this stage, they will have a bright yellow color and a firm texture. Use a sharp knife or garden shears to cut the cucumber from the vine, leaving a small portion of the stem attached. Handle them gently to avoid bruising or damaging the fruit. After harvesting, store the cucumbers in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness and crispness until ready to use.
Seed Saving
Seed Saving
Cucumbers typically have both male and female flowers on the same plant and can cross-pollinate with other cucumber varieties. It's important to separate different varieties to avoid cross-pollination. Let the cucumbers mature beyond the eating stage until they become very soft and the skin changes color to white, brown, yellow, green, or orange, depending on the variety. This may take up to five weeks. Afterward, remove the cucumbers from the vine and allow them to cure in a dry, cool place for an additional two weeks. Cut open the cucumbers and scoop out the seeds into a bowl. Add an equal amount of water and keep the mixture in a location at 32 Celsius away from sunlight for 24-36 hours, allowing it to ferment. Mold may form, so stir the mixture twice daily. Once fermentation is complete, add more water while stirring; the hollow yellow lemon cucumber seeds and debris will float to the top while the good seeds sink. Remove the water and debris, then spread out the good seeds on a flat surface to dry for about two weeks. Store the yellow lemon cucumber seeds in a cool, dry place for up to 8 years.
Extra Facts
Extra Facts
Planting Methods: Indoor, Outdoor
Blooming Season: Late Spring, Summer
Planting Season: Spring
Latin Name/USDA Zones: Cucumis sativus/ Cucumbers, including Lemon cucumbers, are generally grown as annuals, and the concept of USDA Hardiness Zones is more applicable to perennial plants. Lemon cucumbers thrive in warm temperatures and are cultivated as warm-season vegetables. Therefore, specific hardiness zones are not relevant to their cultivation. They are ideally grown in regions where the growing season provides adequate warmth for optimal growth and fruit production.
Sunlight Required/ Height: Full Sun/ 152 to 183 cm
Shelf Life After Test Date: Lemon cucumber seeds retain viability for years post-test date if stored properly. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Periodic germination tests ensure successful planting, ensuring a lasting supply of vibrant Lemon cucumber plants for your garden.
Seed Type: Open-Pollinated
Soil Type: Loam Soil