Ukrainian Slicing Cucumber is a heat-loving, never-bitter slicing variety with deep roots in the Hudson Valley's Ukrainian-American heritage. This straight green cucumber with subtle ribbing matures in just 60 days and thrives in full sun with moderate watering. It grows to about 8 inches tall and spreads to 48 inches when trellised or sprawled on the ground, making it flexible for small and large gardens alike.
Full Sun
Moderate
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8in H x 48in W
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Moderate
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Born from seeds brought by Ukrainian immigrants who settled in the Hudson Valley after World War II, this cucumber carries the genetics of heat resistance and reliable, sweet flavor that Ukrainian seed savers refined over generations. The variety's deliberate breeding for never-bitter cucumbers means you're harvesting a taste perfected by people who knew exactly what they wanted in a slicing cucumber. It's also remarkably practical: you can start seeds indoors, direct sow, or trellis it vertically, adapting to whatever space and timeline you have.
Ukrainian Slicing Cucumber is grown for fresh slicing and salads, where its straight form, tender skin, and sweet flavor make it ideal for raw consumption. It's also used in traditional Ukrainian pickling preparations and preserves, reflecting the culinary uses common in the communities that developed and maintained the variety.
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Start seeds indoors 3 weeks before your last frost date. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the threat of frost has completely passed, spacing them 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings into the garden after the last frost date has passed and soil has warmed. Space transplants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Direct sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil temperature reaches 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the last frost date has passed. Sow seeds 4 inches apart, then thin seedlings to 24 inches once they develop their first true leaves.
Harvest Ukrainian Slicing Cucumber when the fruits are green with white undertones and the skin begins to smooth out, but before they become shiny and yellow. At 60 days from planting, begin checking regularly for mature fruits ready to pick. Harvest by hand, gently twisting or cutting the stem to avoid damaging the vine.
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“After World War II, Ukrainian families emigrated to the Hudson Valley and Catskills region of New York, where they established churches, summer camps, and cultural gathering spaces to preserve their heritage and traditions. Ukrainian seed savers who settled in this region continued selecting and saving cucumber seeds suited to their climate and culinary preferences, prioritizing heat tolerance and flavor consistency. The Ukrainian Slicing Cucumber emerged from this community effort, maintained and shared among gardeners for decades until seed companies like Hudson Valley Seed began documenting and offering it to home gardeners. The variety represents a living connection between Ukrainian agricultural tradition and the American landscape where these families built their new homes.”