Organic Cucumber Vert Long de Chine - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds - Cucumis sativus

The 'Vert Long de Chine' Cucumber, also known as the Snake Cucumber, is a rather extraordinary variety that produces fruits that can reach up to a metre long. This cucumber, very productive, is no less tasty: its white flesh is firm, crunchy, and contains very few seeds. It can be grown both in open ground and in a greenhouse. Sowing from April to June for a harvest from July to October.

Cucumbers appreciate light, loose, fresh, and humus-rich soils. They like sunny exposures and temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees (64.4 and 71.6°F) Celsius. They are quite water-hungry vegetables that need to be watered regularly.

Cucumber is, along with tomato, one of the flagship vegetables of summer: refreshing, low in calories, it can be enjoyed in a mixed salad or on its own, with, for example, a yogurt, lemon, and dill sauce.

There are two main types of cucumbers: "forcing" varieties that are intended for greenhouse cultivation and those that are adapted to open-field cultivation. They can be smooth or spiny, long or round. In addition to these classic varieties, there are also more "exotic" cucumbers such as the Kenyan Cucumber or the Snake Cucumber, which are generally more heat-demanding.

Harvest: Cucumbers should be harvested when they have reached their final size, about 50 cm (20in), before their color turns yellow. Remember to harvest regularly to encourage the formation of new fruits.

Storage: Cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. To enjoy your harvest for longer, you can also preserve them in jars through lactofermentation or in vinegar.

Gardener's tip: like all cucurbits, cucumber can be susceptible to powdery mildew: white fuzz appears on the foliage. It is advisable to remove heavily affected leaves and spray with wettable sulfur every 2 weeks. In case of minor infestation, you can also treat the stems with skimmed milk, diluted at 10 to 20% in rainwater. As a preventive measure, avoid watering the foliage and make sure to ventilate your greenhouse well if growing under cover. Spraying with a horsetail decoction can also be done to strengthen foliage resistance.

Organic or "AB" seeds come from plants grown without phytosanitary products (insecticides, herbicides). These seeds also do not undergo any treatment after harvest. They bear the AB label and are certified by Ecocert, an independent organisation.