Heirloom
Poona Kheera is a beloved Indian heirloom cucumber that brings the taste of Pune's bustling streets to your garden. These compact fruits grow just 4, 6 inches long with creamy, light green flesh that's remarkably crisp and juicy with a naturally sweet, mild character. Ready to harvest in 55, 65 days, this potato-shaped variety produces tender cucumbers that yellow and deepen to brown as they ripen, making them as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. Grow them in full sun with just 12 inches of spacing, and you'll enjoy a prolific harvest of fruits perfect for slicing fresh or pressing into cooling juices during hot weather.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
Hover over chart points for details
What sets Poona Kheera apart is its dual personality: the same fruit that street vendors in Pune sell as an afternoon snack is equally at home in a salad or pressed into a refreshing juice. The flesh strikes an uncommon balance between crisp and creamy, sweet without being cloying, and mild enough that a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper is all it needs. Its compact size and prolific nature make it perfect for containers or tight garden spaces, while the color shift from yellow to rich brown as it matures gives you a natural visual cue for peak ripeness.
Poona Kheera shines in preparations where its tender flesh and mild flavor can take center stage. Slice it fresh into salads, where its crisp texture provides excellent contrast to other vegetables and dressings. Press it into cooling juices, either alone or blended with other fruits and vegetables for a hydrating summer drink. The variety's delicate flesh also makes it ideal for cucumber water infusions or as a light snack, simply sliced and seasoned with salt and pepper as street vendors in Pune have served it for generations.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures have reached at least 60°F. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days before planting. Space transplants 12 inches apart in prepared soil rich in organic matter.
Direct sow seeds into the garden after soil has warmed and all frost danger has passed. Plant seeds at the appropriate depth and thin seedlings to 12 inches apart once they've emerged and developed their first true leaves.
Harvest Poona Kheera when fruits reach 4, 6 inches in length, typically 55, 65 days after planting. Fruits are ready when the skin transitions from yellow to a deeper brown color, signaling peak ripeness. Cut fruits from the vine rather than pulling them to avoid damaging the plant. Pick regularly to encourage continued production throughout the season, as leaving mature fruit on the vine can signal the plant to stop flowering.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Poona Kheera carries the story of Pune, India's cultural heart in Maharashtra state, where it has been grown and celebrated for generations. This heirloom variety emerged from the region's agricultural traditions, where it became so integral to local food culture that street vendors built their reputation around selling sliced Poona Kheera to customers seeking relief from the intense Indian heat. The variety traveled beyond Pune through seed saving networks and eventually reached Western gardeners through heirloom seed companies, where it has become prized by those seeking authentic, regionally-rooted vegetable varieties with genuine historical depth.”