Monday, 15 September 2025

In My Seed Box for 2026 - Cucumbers

 


In the past I have grown a number of different cucumbers but the ones I keep coming back to and grow each year are Burpless Tasty Green and Marketmore. In 2018 I was introduced to Esmarald from Mr Fothergills as John had started off a load of cucumbers and was looking to distribute the love, by giving his babies to anyone on the plot that was happy to give them room rather than compost them. 

I have to say Esmarald out grew Burpless Tasty Greens but I was not able to get hold of the seeds again from Mr Fothergills, so I was very happy that I saved seeds and have continued to do sow annually. 

Burpless Tasty Green were grown in 2021 along with Swing F1 which was a cucumber with a nice girth only four slices needed per sandwich one in each quadrant of the bread, and quite a nice taste and texture . 

Lots of Cucumber varieties grown in 2024 Party Time F1Party Time F1, Burpless Tasty Green, Esmarald, Emilie F1 & Suprina F1 The plan was to fill the climbing frame greenhouse with cucumbers only for the slugs and snails to wipe them all out, bar one plant.

In 2025, Esmarald and Burpless Tasty Green grown but again only two plants survived, and four cucumbers harvested.   


Cucumber seeds if kept in ideal conditions should last between 10 - 15 years, so there is no rush to plant too many varieties, however now having the Climbing Frame Greenhouse on the plot (shown above) I have been looking to maximise its use and grow more varieties of cucumbers, hopefully 2026 will see this happen. 

Cucumbers were originally found in India around 4000 years ago, and they have since become the fourth most widely cultivated vegetable in the world. Cucumbers found their way to England during the 14th century, but were not at all popular, they did become more widely eaten from the 17th century.

The species grown for food are Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and Cucumis anguria (West Indian gherkin). In the UK, cucumbers are generally grown to maturity in a greenhouse or polytunnel, although ridge cucumbers and some varieties of gherkin are a little hardier and can be planted outside when danger of frost has passed. All of my cucumbers have been grown out on the allotment plot, as space in the greenhouses is valuable. 

Sow By 2024

Passandra F1                   - 4 Seeds - £3.99 - Organic Gardening - Sow by 2024
These will be sown in 2026 

Sow By 2025

Hopeline F1                     - 5 Seeds - £3.99 - Dobies - Sow by 7/2025
These will be sown in 2026

Sow By 2026

Burpless Tasty Green F1 - 10 Seeds - £1.50^ - wilko - Sow by 7/2026
Lunch Box F1                   - 10 Seeds - £4.89   - Mr Fothergill's - Sow By 2026
Burpless Tasty Green F1 - Numerous - Free - Self Saved in 2023 - Sow By 2026
^ Bought in the 50% sale for 75p

Sow By 2027

Lunch Box F1 - 10 Seeds - £4.99  - D.T.Brown - Packed Year Ending Sep/2024
Party Time F1 - 6 Seeds - £3.99  - Dobies - Packed Year Ending Sep/2024
Kyuri Japanese - 6 seeds - Givaway - Niwaki 

Cucumbers That I Have Grown Include:   

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