Cucumber Seeds - Crystal Lemon

Cucumber Crystal Lemon is another excellent and unusual variety which will thrive inside or out. It was first introduced in the late 1800s, heritage and open-pollinated (so save your seed). This delicious, small, round yellow cucumber has had the time to perfectly adapt to our climate and conditions, resulting in an easy and undemanding plant to grow, freeing time for busy gardeners. Bitter free, crunchy and consumed with the skin on, this cucumber is a must-have.

• Pack size: 10 seeds
• Type: Greenhouse or garden
• Time to germination: 7-10 days
• When to sow inside: March – April
• When to sow outside: May - June
• Spacing: 45cm +
• Soil preference: Fertile, moist and rich
• Light preference: Full sun
• When to harvest: June – September

How to grow Crystal Lemon Cucumbers from seed

Cucumbers are a delicious and easy plant to grow in your garden and come in two types. Should you choose a ridge type of cucumber, a greenhouse is not a necessity as they have been bred for, and thrive in the colder conditions. Greenhouse varieties are slightly more cold-sensitive which will halt the plant's growth, reducing its vigour, resistance to pests and disease, as well as its yields. As such, for a successful experience, we recommend growing this type under glass only. Cucumber Crystal Lemon will thrive in either application.

When sowing your Cucumber Crystal Lemon seeds (on their sides) at a depth of 1cm, consider the temperature they will be exposed to. 18-20 degrees is ideal, however once germinated, cucumber seeds can tolerate somewhat lower temperatures. After germination, place on a sunny windowsill. or as we recommend, under LED lights to grow on and develop. Cucumbers are susceptible to root disturbance, and so we recommend planting seeds in 8cm thin-wall pots, and that you plant out, pot and all once your greenhouse or garden can sustain a temperature of 15 degrees.

Cucumber plants are heavy feeders and enjoy warm, rich, moist soil, loaded with plenty of organic matter. Add a few handfuls of fish, blood and bone meal with some volcanic rock dust and kelp powder to give them a rich, balanced and diverse diet for strong organic growth and cropping over the season. Keep cucumbers well-watered, and alongside this diet, it'll help the plants to form strong, well-developed immunity.

By preparing the planting hole/soil with the above organics before planting, and applying a side dressing of phosphorus-rich bone meal or wood ash just prior to fruiting, you are feeding the whole soil ecosystem, which in turn feeds your cucumber plants a much broader diet. Chemical fertilisers bought off the shelf are limited in their scope and kill life in the soil web, trapping the gardener into spending more time (and money) repeatedly fertilising.

Cucumber Crystal Lemon is a prolific cropper when picked regularly, and as a tall vining variety, we recommend training cucumbers up garden twine. It’s a commercial technique, far superior in terms of time, labour, effort and effectiveness to staking and tying in. Secure a length of twine above and let it hang down to your seedling. As your cucumber plant grows, simply wind the main stem around the twine. If you must stake, drive the stakes in at an angle, well clear of the root zone. Crystal Lemon Cucumbers, having adapted excellently, will also be very happy sprawling over the ground if you have space. There is no need to pick the male flowers and no bitter after taste.

When ordering cucumber Crystal Lemon Seeds from Grow Sow Greener, we reccomend sowing nasturtium seeds a beautiful plant that add interest and beauty in its own right and is a great companion for cucumbers.  Growing nasturtiums a distance away from your veg will help lure aphids away, whilst giving you delicious red flowers and peppery young leaves for adding to salads.