Cukes on Queue

[digitS']

I usually grow Turbo, added Poinsett in recent years, and often another American slicer and either Tasty Green or Tasty King Japanese cukes. Then, there are the Lemon Cukes!

This year, I don't have the long Japanese cucumbers but decided that I'd grow some American slicers that are new to me, in addition to the Turbo & Poinsett.

Several years ago, I wanted to try a Beit Alpha cucumber and chose Diva. After harvesting nearly nothing, it took me a few years and I came across Muncher, a Beit Alpha. I'm sure glad I did ! They aren't remarkably different but they are somewhat. Just great with a kind of distinctive flavor . . . and, they grow well for me .

Here are 3 Munchers with a few Talladega, an American slicer. Now, it certainly wasn't the name that attracted me, altho' I now know that there is a town in Alabama with that name. Talladega stands tall, if you prop it upright. It is one BIG slicing cucumber - just dandy! I wanted you to have a look at the 2 of them .

Steve

edited: decided to measure the longer cukes; they are 10" and 1/3rd of them are about that size.

 

[Smart Red]

I like my Munchers. Since I don't do pickles, they work well for all my needs with plenty to share.

 

[journey11]

What is a beit alpha, Steve? I grew some Munchers this year from a trial packet I got. We liked them too. I didn't know much about them though.

 

[digitS']

I believe they are sometimes called "middle-eastern" types but they are just the regular Cucumis sativus, not an Armenian cucumber. Those are really a type of melon.

Johnny's has a little about cucumber types (link).

They are hairless and smooth, well, almost wrinkled but without the ridges and warts found on some cukes. Beit Alpha seem to have an especially "fresh" flavor to me.

They are also supposed to have greater tolerance to ups & downs of temperature. That characterizes my garden environment . . . back to 94f this afternoon, lows in the 50's!

Steve

 

[digitS']

A munch of munchers:

cellphone photo from the garden . . . over-sized zucchini there in front

These are the sorts of things that are occupying my time lately. There seems to be a lot of "things garden" on queue.

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

I had to give away some muncher cukes yesterday...just...too..many!!

 

[elaerstelle]

seems you all have good harvest! congratulations!


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www.melodyhome.com

 

[digitS']

 

[Mackay]

this being my third attempt to grow cukes having had utter failure, I tried munchers this year with good success. Im zone 3. Finally on sept 10 they came on. Managed to get a few Japanese longs too! So I get to have cukes for two weeks. Frost expected tonight.

 

[digitS']

Mackay!

I think you must be not only at 6,000 feet elevation - You must be quite a ways north!

There is an old notion and rule of thumb known as the Bioclimatic Law. It has been mostly discounted but amounts to the idea that (other conditions being equal) each degree of latitude = 400 feet in elevation. Of course, the other conditions are never equal. My very low (relatively) elevation of just over 2,000 feet would place my gardening environment at about 7,000 feet in the Albuquerque neighborhood. It is 49 right now and there has certainly been frost this early but things still look good for awhile . . . yet.

How about tomato cages for cukes? Wrap them in plastic for the first few weeks that they are out there then let 'em run! Anyway, it is an idea that I've considered.

Steve