• DELIVERY INFO: Now taking pre-orders for Spring Plants for 2024. Bare-Rooted Fruit plants will be shipped in Jan. See FAQs for further info.

Cucumber – Crystal Lemon

£5.99

Easy, quick growing and very prolific
This old-fashioned round cucumber will produce delightful shaped, yellow coloured fruits. The fruits are crunchy, juicy, mild and sweet with fantastic flavour. You should be able to eat the cucumbers by the end of July. If you keep picking, they’ll go on producing into the autumn, and finish in October (depending on the season, of course!) Cucumbers are best grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel, but you can plant them outside in a sunny, sheltered spot from late May onwards as well. Plug plants make them particularly easy to grow – just follow the guide that comes with the cucumber plants!

Number of plants: 3 plug plants

Variety: Crystal Lemon (organic*)

In the kitchen: These cucumbers are delicious in salads adding a lovely splash of colour. Also great for dipping in hummus and for making tzatziki style dips.

THESE PLANTS WILL BE SHIPPED IN SPRING 2024

Delivery Info: Please see FAQs for up-to-date delivery info.

Planting advice: Best grown in a greenhouse. Provide support for the plant to climb, or allow to sprawl across the ground. Plant plugs 30cm apart.

Harvesting: You should get the first few fruits from July onwards.

*Transplants suitable for organic growing.

Cucumber

Grow under cover if possible

Cucumbers are best grown under cover – in a greenhouse, polytunnel or in a conservatory. If you’re planting them outside be sure to choose a sunny, sheltered spot.

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Beds and pots are fine

Cucumbers are easy to grow in planters, raised beds, large pots/containers or grow bags.

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How far apart?

About 30-40cm apart.

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Water regularly

These are thirsty plants. Water them often to keep the soil evenly moist (but don’t drown them!).

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Don't plant out too early

If you don’t have a greenhouse/polytunnel, wait and plant them outside when the risk of frost has passed and the weather has warmed up. Until then, keep them in pots under cover or on a sunny windowsill.

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When to harvest

You can easily tell when your cucumber is ready to be harvested by their size. Cut them carefully from the stalk.

Powdery Mildew

This fungal white coating on leaves is nothing to be worried about and is very common in all cucurbits. During the early part of the season, leaves should come through nice and green, and towards the end of the season you start to see powdery mildew creep in. If you do have it earlier in the season, remove affected foliage and keep plants well watered to strengthen them.

Blossom End Rot

This is when the end of the cucumber that was attached to the flower (the blossom end!) starts to rot. It is usually due to a calcium deficiency that is caused by a lack of water. Once the plant has access to enough water it can successfully draw up calcium from the soil. Keep plants well watered and subsequent fruits should be fine.

Yellow/Discoloured Leaves

Any yellow or brown patches forming on the leaves can usually be attributed to a lack of nutrients. Make sure your cucumber plants are getting enough water – the soil should be consistently moist – and use a liquid feed fortnightly once fruits start forming.

Red Spider Mite

Particularly common to dry, warm greenhouses, red spider mites attack the leaves of plants and suck the sap from them. This leaves a mottled appearance, and can cause the plant to drop its leaves and if severe infestations are not dealt with the plant will eventually die. Spray or mist your plants with water to maintain a more humid atmosphere, and be careful not to overcrowd plants in greenhouses. This will help to prevent an outbreak.

Greenfly

These aphids are often a problem. To keep them at bay we recommend planting lots of companion plants – like marigolds – and providing something yellow and sticky, like a yellow bucket smeared in vaseline. Works a treat!

Symptom Checker

Yellow Leaves = nutrient deficiency

White coating on leaves = Powdery Mildew

Leaves eaten = slugs/snails

One end of fruit rotting = Blossom End Rot

Mottled leaves – Red Spider Mite

Stunted Growth and Tiny Green Bugs = Greenfly

Storage Tips

Harvest them as you want to eat them – they will store in the fridge for a few days, but are much better cooked fresh.

Ways to cook

Great sliced thinly and served with a light dressing, or cut into batons and served with hummus. Or make a raita dip.

Recipe Ideas

Coming soon!

Do I need to sign for them?
All our plug plant orders are dispatched with an overnight courier* to mainland UK and do not need to be signed for when they are delivered, but will be left somewhere safe. When placing your order, please let us know where you would like the plug plants left if you are not in when the courier delivers.

We will keep you posted
You will receive an email approximately a week before your order is dispatched and another on the day your plug plants are packed and leave us so you know to expect and prepare for their arrival.

 

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