Cucumis, Cucumber (Pickling), Homemade Pickles ~ 50 seeds

Love pickles but think they're too much trouble? Not ready to take on canning? These prolific cukes have the perfect thick skin and crunchy toothsomeness that makes for the perfect pickle. Grow them and then try a simple refrigerator pickle recipe. Refrigerator pickles don't require any extra canning equipment or special jars. Our friend Margaret Roach, author of A Way to Garden, has a great recipe for refrigerator pickles on her blog; all you need is water, vinegar, salt, some spice, and a few homegrown cucumbers harvested when they are still young. Margaret writes, "think of these unprocessed pickles as a seasonal treat, a real rite of the harvest season.

Growing Instructions
Performs best when direct sown 4" apart soon after last frost and protected from cucumber beetles with row cover. Thin to indicated spacing once seedlings put on their first true leaves. Row cover can be removed once plants start to push against it. Plant in moderately fertile soil and water regularly. Cucumbers can be trellised or allowed to grow on the ground. Harvest when cucumbers are green and white and the skin begins to smoothen, but before they become shiny and yellow.

Quick Facts
Days to Germination: 3-7 days
Days to Maturity: 60 days
Planting Depth: ½"
Spacing in Row: 24"
Spacing Between Rows: 36"
Height at Maturity: 8"
Width at Maturity: 48"
Sun Preference: Full Sun

About the Artist
Artwork by Gina Palmer. This relief print made using linoleum speaks to the feeling of tradition that accompanies the art of pickling. Gina is an illustrator, educator, bird lover, and gardener. She is inspired by nature's underdogs and all things farm and garden.