Slicing Cucumber
Japanese Long Cucumber is a productive, burpless variety that rewards gardeners with abundant harvests of impressively long fruits reaching 18-20 inches at maturity. The dark green cucumbers have notably few seeds and a crisp, clean flavor that improves when picked at a younger 12-inch size. This annual vine thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 2-13, reaching 36-48 inches in height and producing ready-to-harvest fruit in just 50-59 days. Easy to grow for home gardeners, it's equally at home trellised in a small space or sprawling along the ground.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-13
48in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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What sets this Japanese variety apart is its remarkable seediness, or rather, the lack of it. Unlike many cucumber types that seem to house an entire garden's worth of seeds, the Japanese Long Cucumber offers that tender, burpless flesh with minimal seed cavity, making it exceptional for fresh eating and pickling alike. The fruits stretch dramatically longer than typical slicing cucumbers, yet they maintain tenderness when harvested at the preferred 12-inch stage. For gardeners with limited space, the vining growth habit makes it ideal for vertical trellising, and the productive plants consistently deliver multiple long fruits throughout the season.
These cucumbers shine in two distinct ways. Fresh from the vine at 12 inches, they're exceptional for slicing and eating raw, with that burpless quality making them gentle on digestion. Their low seed content and firm texture also make them excellent candidates for pickling, where the long, slender form fits beautifully into jars and takes on flavors evenly. Many home gardeners specifically prize them for their dual purpose, eat some young and tender, preserve the rest as crisp pickles.
Start seeds indoors before the final frost date, then transplant seedlings outside after all danger of frost has passed and outdoor soil has warmed sufficiently.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the final frost date in your zone. Space plants 18 inches apart in full sun. Ensure soil is warm and frost danger has completely passed before setting plants out.
Direct sow seeds in full sun after the final frost date, when soil has warmed. Plant seeds at the appropriate depth and thin seedlings to 18-inch spacing once established.
Harvest Japanese Long Cucumbers at 12 inches long for optimal tenderness and flavor, rather than waiting for full maturity at 18-20 inches. At this younger stage, the burpless flesh remains most tender and the seed cavity is minimal. Check vines every few days once flowering has occurred, as productive plants will continuously set new fruit. Simply grasp the fruit stem and gently twist or snip with shears to avoid damaging the vine. Regular harvesting encourages the plant to produce more fruits throughout the growing season.
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