Cucumis sativus Seeds | Oriental Cucumber
LATIN NAME: Cucumis sativus
COMMON NAME: Oriental Cucumber, Cucumber
Plant Profile
Oriental Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) grows as a fast-growing, trailing, annual in the gourd family, native to warm regions of Asia, while it has been grown in kitchen gardens for thousands of years. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the gourd family regularly include Cucumis sativus in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Cucumber has a real and distinguished place in research. Gardeners benefit directly from its long cultivation: what the plant will do in a garden is well understood.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Oriental Cucumber for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Cucumber is a fast-growing, trailing annual of kitchen garden and greenhouse, bearing large, lobed leaves and long, crisp, green fruits through the summer. Its yellow flowers feed bees and pollinating insects, and its quick, trailing growth gives a fine cover on ground or a climbing screen on trellis, while its tendrils help it to climb and to spread. To raise cucumber, sow seeds in pots of moist, rich compost in a warm, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on in the warmth. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Cucumbers and melons are hydrating, potassium-rich summer foods; cucumber’s folk role in cooling skin care persists in modern cosmetics, and melon seeds are a traditional snack and diuretic tea in Asia.
Growing from Seed
Oriental Cucumber is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. A cool, moist period before sowing helps the seeds wake evenly — a few weeks in damp medium in the refrigerator is the usual approach. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Part of this plant’s appeal is the long practical history summarized above. A few weeks of cold, moist stratification before sowing mirrors its natural cycle.
Related Reading
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