The Pickling cucumber is smaller and faster growing then some of the other cucumbers on the market. Being smaller has the advantage as there is less waste. Most families will not eat a full size cucumber at every meal. Because cucumbers are high production plants, it is very easy to grow more then a person or family can eat.
Cucumber on a vine.
For the most part, cucumbers are disease and pest resistant. This makes them an excellent choice for low maintenance gardens. The two big draw backs to cucumbers - they require a lot of nitrogen in the soil and they require a lot of water. The roots of cucumber plants run just under the top of the soil. So any lack of rain fall can affect the plant.
Cucumber plants produce a long vine, so they will need plenty of room to grow.
Freshly picked cucumbers straight from the garden.
It would be very easy to get this many cucumbers every few days from the garden.
Cucumbers do not have a high amount of nutrients in them. When the skin is removed, just about all of the nutrients are removed.
When saving the seeds from a cucumber, it is important to leave the cucumber on the vine for as long as possible. This means just that "as long as possible" - until the vine dies, or until the cucumber burst open.
This cucumber is the same type that is in the sink. It has been left on the vine to over ripen so the seeds can be harvested.
Advantages of cucumbers - high production plants, easy to grow and require little maintenance. Very easy to grow more then a family can eat.
Disadvantages of cucumbers - high nitrogen requirements, require a lot of water, do not produce a lot of nutrients in the cucumber, require a lot of room for the vines to run.
When buying cucumber seeds, avoid "hybrid" plants, as they may produce an non-fertile fruit. Pickling cucumbers are usually a heirloom plant, making them a good choice if saving the seeds is desired.
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