CUCUMBER - HOKUS

 Organic Cucumber Hokus

        10 Seeds Pack   

Cucumbers are believed to have originated in India over 10,000 years ago, where a wide range of Cucumbers and melons are still grown today. Cucumbers then spread to Europe and made their with  the European colonists in the 1500s. Today, Cucumbers are grown all over the world

Heirloom Hokus Cucumber  is an excellent variety for preservation, smaller with a finer skin, the fruit is usually harvested when quite small and young 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) and mainly used for pickling in vinegar and brine, with or without sugar and various herbs and/ or spices to taste. Gherkin Hokus is suitable for indoor and outdoor sowing and ideal for container growing, the plants can be grown vertically up netting or horizontally as well which initially requires less labour. The skin is medium green in colour with dark green spots. The prolific plants can be harvested over a long period, to prevent them from growing wildly, it is possible to lead back or cut the tendrils.

       PLANTING&GROWING

Soaking needs to be done at least a few hours before planting, and preferably overnight. To prevent damping off when starting seeds indoors, it’s essential that you disinfect all of your pots, plastic grow trays, seed cells, and seedling tray covers before you reuse them.  

Cucumbers, botanically classified as Cucumis sativus, are technically a fruit and belong to the same family as zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon, and summer squash.

Prefers well-drained, fertile soil, high in organic matter with near-neutral pH.

Sow cucumber seeds on their side, 1–2cm (½–¾in) deep, in small pots. Keep them at 21°C (70°F) in a heated propagator or on a warm sunny indoor windowsill.
Outdoor varieties can be sown directly in their growing site in late May or early June. Sow seeds 1–2cm (½–¾in) deep.

For a continuous harvest, make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until about 3 months before first fall frost date. About 1 month before first frost, start pinching off new flowers so plants channel energy into ripening existing fruit.

Most cucumbers have both male and female flowers. The male flowers blossom first and produce pollen, but no fruit. Other varieties produce female flowers predominately or exclusively. Seed packs of these varieties include a few seeds (usually marked with dye) of another variety that produces male flowers to provide pollen. Make sure you don’t remove pollinator plants when thinning.

Avoid planting other members of the cucumber family in the same plot year after year to prevent the spread of disease.

The cabbage family makes great companions as do sunflower, radish, and tomato. Although their pest repellent properties are praised, aromatic herbs actually make bad companions for the cucumber.

Make sure you choose the right variety for your garden as there are two main types – greenhouse and outdoor. Do not mix both types in the greenhouse