Lemon Cucumber (Garden Starter Plant)

Heirloom. Round and yellow, this tennis ball-sized cucumber is a perfect serving for one or two people. It is believed to have been introduced to the US in the late 1800s. Lemon cucumber does not have a lemon taste, only color, but has a thin, tender skin with a flavor a little milder than a regular cucumber’s. One great advantage to this cuke is that you can eat it all at one sitting with no half-cuke left to store in the fridge. Prolific plants are easy to grow and seem to need less heat to ripen than some cucumbers, making this a good choice for cooler climates. It is also less apt to develop bitterness. This is the cucumber often seen in ethnic Indian markets (budamkaya). To save space, give the vigorous plants a fence to climb. Try hollowing out the cukes for a cold soup summer appetizer.

• Light:  Full sun
• Fruit size:  3 to 4 inches long
• Matures:  65 days
• Plant spacing:  48 to 60 inches apart
• Plant size:  Very long vine