Cucumis sativus Seeds | Cucumber
LATIN NAME: Cucumis sativus
COMMON NAME: Cucumber
Plant Profile
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a climbing, annual in the gourd family. Cucumber is cool green of summer garden, and crisp, dark-green fruits come through warm season. Fruits have a very long record as fresh, cool green of warm kitchens, and plant is a fine, generous presence of vegetable garden. It is a plant of open, sunny, rich, well-drained ground. During flowering it gives bees and other insects a dependable food source. Plants that offer this much while asking this little are rare enough to treasure.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the gourd family, Cucumis sativus is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.
Uses & Benefits
Cucumber brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Cucumber is a fine, generous plant of warm vegetable garden. Long, cylindrical, dark-green fruits come through warm season with fine, crisp, cool flesh, eaten fresh in salads, sliced into cool drinks and pickled into jars of warm kitchens. It has been written up in culinary and agricultural papers for crisp fruits and cool ways, and it is a fine, generous plant of open, sunny, rich, well-drained garden. A plant that has settled in will get along with only routine care.
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
Seed is the natural starting point for Cucumber, and the process is uncomplicated. Sow on the surface of a gritty, well-drained mix, cover lightly with fine compost, and maintain gentle, even moisture in a sunny position. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
The traditional uses covered above are what first made this species worth cultivating. Few garden plants carry such a documented history of use as this one does. Sun, free drainage and a patient first year are all it really requires.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Cucumber often pair it with these related subjects: