VegetableCucumber
Long Green Imp. Slicing Cucumber
Long Green Improved Slicing Cucumber has been a gardener's standby since 1870, and for good reason. This vigorous vining annual produces abundant 10-inch fruits ready to harvest in 60 to 69 days, thriving across hardiness zones 2 through 12 in full sun. Open-pollinated and heirloom, it grows equally well sprawling across garden soil, climbing a trellis, or filling containers with proper support, making it adaptable to nearly any growing situation.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-12
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
48 in
Height
TypeVining
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-12
Size
48in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
Since its introduction in 1870, Long Green Improved has earned its place in seed catalogs year after year through sheer productive power and reliable vigor. The vining plants generate long, uniform slicing cucumbers that mature quickly enough to deliver a substantial harvest before midsummer heat arrives. Its ability to thrive in fields, containers, raised beds, and even greenhouses (with pollinator access) means it fits seamlessly into gardens of any size or style.
Common Uses
Long Green Improved slicing cucumbers are grown for fresh eating straight from the vine, sliced into salads, or served as cool refreshment on warm summer afternoons. Their reliable size and texture make them excellent for slicing onto platters, pickling into bread-and-butter chips, or simply snacking on during harvest.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow seeds directly into warm soil after the last frost date has passed. Cucumbers can be direct-seeded in fields, garden plots, raised beds, or containers with support structures in place.
Harvesting
Harvest Long Green Improved fruits when they reach approximately 10 inches in length, typically 60 to 69 days after sowing. Pick cucumbers while the skin is still firm and the fruit is at full size but before it begins to soften or yellow; regular harvesting encourages continued production throughout the season.
Pruning
Allow the vining growth to sprawl or train it onto a support structure such as a trellis, fence, or stakes. When grown vertically on trellises, the vines will naturally climb and fruit will hang from the support, improving air circulation and making harvesting easier.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Cucumis sativus
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Growth Habit
Vining
Native Status
L48 (I)HI (I)PR (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Long Green Improved Slicing Cucumber was introduced to gardeners in 1870, a moment when heirloom cucumber breeding was refining varieties for reliable production and consistent fruit quality. Its repeated presence in seed catalogs over more than 150 years speaks to the quiet success of a variety that does exactly what gardeners need: produce vigorous vines laden with uniform, sliceable fruit without fuss or fanfare. This open-pollinated heirloom has been preserved and replanted by generations of home gardeners precisely because it delivers season after season.”