The Antilles cucumber: how to grow this unusual fruit-vegetable?

What exactly is the Antilles cucumber?

Like the other cucumber, the Antilles cucumber (Cucumis auguria) is a vegetable plant of exotic origin, native to East Africa. Introduced to the Americas, this plant with creeping stems has naturalised in Latin America and the southern United States, as well as in the Caribbean, where the seeds have been selected over the years.

A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, this plant, grown as an annual in our latitudes, produces small fruits about 4 cm long and 3 cm wide. In short, the size of a chicken egg! Small fruits that display a distinctive and unusual appearance, being oblong in shape and, above all, bristly with soft spines that cause no injury. These protuberances, more than spines, resemble the burrs of the horse chestnut, which has earned it the nickname “chestnut cucumber”. This skin, turning from green to yellow at maturity, hides a translucent flesh, packed with small crunchy seeds that crack under the bite.

The flower of the Antilles cucumber (©Flo Gèn for Wikimedia Commons)

As for the plant, it grows rapidly. It produces long stems that can reach 3 m in length. These branched stems bear foliage that is trilobed, palmately lobed, and particularly hairy. These stems can creep along the ground or climb if given support. Bright yellow flowering occurs from June to September. The flowers are monoecious.

How to sow and plant the Antilles cucumber?

Due to its origins, the Antilles cucumber has an imperative need for warmth for both the germination of seeds and its cultivation. This is why this vegetable plant will undoubtedly be more productive in regions with hot summers. As with ordinary cucumbers, sowing is done in warmth and the seedling will only be transplanted into the ground once late-spring frosts have been definitively ruled out.

Sowing of Cucumis auguria

Sowing of Antilles cucumber seeds is carried out in April in pots kept warm, in a very bright room with a temperature of at least 22 to 25 °C. It is indeed the germination temperature of the seeds of Cucumis auguria. A conservatory is ideal.

The sowing is done in pots filled with seed compost, slightly dampened. Place 2 to 3 seeds per pot, about 1 cm deep, and water with a fine spray. To encourage germination, it is always possible to cover the pots with a pane of glass or plexiglass, remembering to ventilate regularly.

When the seedlings have three leaves (excluding cotyledons), they can be transplanted into garden soil. It is prudent to wait until mid-May to do so in regions where late-spring frosts are frequent.

Planting in open ground

The Antilles cucumber will thrive in any good garden soil, but a humus-bearing, fairly deep, loose and cool soil, and above all well-drained, will suit it. If the soil is rich, that’s even better, so a well-rotted compost addition is recommended in the autumn before planting. It also requires a sunny position sheltered from cold winds. In the less sunny regions or where summers are shorter, planting in a greenhouse is feasible.

As it is a trailing plant, it is important to give it enough space to develop at its own pace. Count at least 2 m² per plant and thus at least 1 to 1.5 m between each plant. In smaller gardens, trellising is advisable, for example against a fence, a trellis against a wall or even a playful teepee. Just be sure to guide the stems toward the support and then they will take care of themselves. Trellising has several advantages: the fruits are easier to harvest, cleaner as they do not touch soil, and above all better exposed to the sun. Additionally, the foliage is less prone to powdery mildew, sometimes caused by excessive humidity combined with heat.

Le concombre des Antilles a besoin de chaleur (©Eugenio Hansen OFS pour Wikimedia Commons)

Enfin, évitez la compagnie des Solanacées (pommes de terre, tomates…) à proximité du concombre des Antilles.

What care do West Indian cucumbers need?

Antilles cucumbers are vegetable plants that require very little care. Pruning and fertilising are unnecessary. Only watering should be regular to keep the soil moist. To increase the effectiveness of watering, it is advised to hoe regularly around the cucumber plants to aerate the soil. This hoeing is also important for removing weeds.

To space out the watering, mulching is essential. This mulch will help retain moisture. You can use lawn clippings, dead leaves, straw…

The Antilles cucumber requires very little care (©Frank Vincentz Wikimedia Commons)

This exotic-origin vegetable plant has no particular diseases or pests. Only slugs and snails may occasionally feast on the young plants. Discover our natural solutions to deter slugs and snails.

Harvest, conservation and consumption of Caribbean cucumbers

Harvest of cucumbers occurs 2 to 3 months after planting, from July to September depending on the region. They are harvested while immature, when they are green, at the moment they begin to turn yellow. The harvest can thus be spread over several weeks. They keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge but no longer.

Flesh of the Antilles cucumber (©Flo Gèn Wikimedia Commons)

Antilles cucumbers are eaten raw, cut into thin slices and served with a vinaigrette. These cucumbers can also be cooked by steaming or boiling, then sautéed in a pan. They can be incorporated into a sauce such as Colombo sauce. They are also traditionally prepared in a ragout, simply in meat juices, or as a fritter. Finally, they can be pickled in vinegar as a condiment.