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Morden Early Cucumber is a short-season hero bred in Manitoba, Canada in 1956 specifically for gardeners facing frost deadlines. This open-pollinated heirloom produces classic 5 to 7 inch fruits in just 40 to 49 days, making it one of the earliest cucumbers you can grow. The compact vines yield abundantly and excel at double duty, delivering crisp, fresh-eating cucumbers or perfectly sized pickles depending on your mood.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-10
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High
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Developed in the cold climate of Manitoba, this variety practically races through summer, reaching harvest in as little as 40 days. The short, bushy vines pack impressive productivity, churning out 5 to 7 inch fruits that work equally well sliced fresh or brined for pickles. Regular harvesting fuels even more production, rewarding attentive gardeners with a continuous supply throughout the season.
Morden Early Cucumber shines in two distinct roles. Fresh off the vine, the crisp fruits slice beautifully for salads, sandwiches, and snacking. At slightly smaller stages, they're the cucumber of choice for quick pickles and fermented brines, offering the ideal size and texture for traditional pickling methods.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds outdoors once soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 70 degrees or warmer for faster germination. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spacing them 12 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet wide. In short-season regions, start seeds as soon as the frost-free date passes to maximize the growing window.
Begin harvesting when fruits reach 5 to 7 inches long, checking vines every 2 to 3 days during peak production. Pick cucumbers while the skin still feels firm and the color is a deep, glossy green; waiting for oversize fruits signals the plant to stop flowering and slow production. Twist or cut each fruit gently from the vine using pruners to avoid damaging the tender stems. Harvesting frequently, even before fruits reach full size, encourages the vine to set new flowers continuously.
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“Morden Early Cucumber emerged from breeding work in Manitoba, Canada in 1956, born from the practical need to create a cucumber that could thrive in regions with genuinely short growing seasons. Rather than hoping for varietal luck, horticulturists engineered earliness into the genetics, producing a cucumber compact enough to finish before killing frosts arrive. The variety remains open-pollinated and non-GMO, preserving the seed-saving tradition for gardeners who want to collect their own seed year after year.”