Armenian cukes

duajones · June 8, 2011

I have read that they do well in the heat and am giving thought to ordering some seed to give them a try in this South Texas inferno.
Those of you that have grown them, is it worth the effort or a waste of time. And a suggestion as to where I might get seeds would be great

davespitzer · June 9, 2011

Territorial seed has them. Mine are just now starting to show some growth- maybe too cold, certainly too wet the last few weeks.

**carolyn137** · June 9, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by duajones

I have read that they do well in the heat and am giving thought to ordering some seed to give them a try in this South Texas inferno.
Those of you that have grown them, is it worth the effort or a waste of time. And a suggestion as to where I might get seeds would be great

http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1357

I'm just putting up this link to share that Armenian cukes go by several names and that they are actually melons, as in C. melo, rather than true cukes, which are C. sativus, and I've grown them for many years and love them.

If you Google Armenian Cuke seeds you'll come up with lots of seed sources. I usually get mine from Pinetree but Baker Creek and many many more places sell the seeds.

I don't let mine get to the yard long as many sites say they get and I don't trellis them to keep them straight either, so they curl up, thus the Serpent name, but always non-bitter and always cool, crispy and refreshing.

duajones · June 9, 2011

Thanks for the info, appreciate it

Duh_Vinci · June 9, 2011

Ted is TX also, he mentioned growing them in this thread...

Growing them for the first time this year, little slower at first compare to the rest of the bunch (Diamant, Cross Country, Diva, Boston and few more), but now, that the warm weather is stable, plenty of flowers, and few fruits have set.

Regards,
D

duajones · June 9, 2011

It is already past prime planting time here and I was thinking about giving them a try anyway. In an area that doesnt get full sun. With the heat they probably wont do well even though they are advertised to do well in such conditions.
I will probably wait until I have more to order than just them for seeds and give them a try in the future.

chalstonsc · June 10, 2011

I'd like to know too....can't grow a regular cuke in the heat around here either

Tracydr · June 11, 2011

Mine just keeps getting better and better as it gets hotter in Phoenix. This is the second summer I've grown them. They never get bitter, even if you let them get huge, 12-18 inches in size. I usually eat them at 6-8 inches because I prefer very tender skin and no seeds.

b54red · June 12, 2011

I have had no luck with mine this year but last year they did alright and they produced well after all the other cukes had died. They are very sweet and mild. For the amount of flowers they produce they don't set very many fruits but it doesn't take a lot of foot long cucumbers at one time for a salad.

barefootgardener · June 12, 2011

duajones, I have some Armenian cuke seeds if you would still like some. Just send me your addy and I will get them out this week.

I grew A.C last season in my GH and outside. I had them climbing up a trellis. The ones in G.H did very well. Healthy plant that spread out and climbed up all the way to the top of the ceiling.. set lot's of flowers, production was avg. but lasted all season long. The fruit will get really long, but I picked most at the 10 inch stage and they tasted absolutely wonderful..You can eat the skin and all..Crisp and sweet, slightly mild flavor ..

Ginny

Tracydr · June 12, 2011

They don't seem to set very many until the thermometer bumps close to 100 or higher for me. I can't imagine it would be real productive in cool climates. Early in the season, it seems to make male flowers forever.

**carolyn137** · June 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracydr

They don't seem to set very many until the thermometer bumps close to 100 or higher for me. I can't imagine it would be real productive in cool climates. Early in the season, it seems to make male flowers forever.

Tracy, I wonder why it takes such a high temp before you get female blossoms?

And it is very productive in cool climates as in my zone 5 in upstate NY. So many cukes I can't keep up and the same for Suyo Long which is another fave for me.

Actually any cuke variety I plant up here does superbly. There are two new ones I'm trying this year in addition to my always Armenian ones so we'll see how they like this cool weather and it's raining again right now.

I'm really pleased b/c since I moved here in 1999 after I retired I haven't seen ONE striped or spotted cuke beetle and that's indeed good news.

duajones · June 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

duajones, I have some Armenian cuke seeds if you would still like some. Just send me your addy and I will get them out this week.

I grew A.C last season in my GH and outside. I had them climbing up a trellis. The ones in G.H did very well. Healthy plant that spread out and climbed up all the way to the top of the ceiling.. set lot's of flowers, production was avg. but lasted all season long. The fruit will get really long, but I picked most at the 10 inch stage and they tasted absolutely wonderful..You can eat the skin and all..Crisp and sweet, slightly mild flavor ..

Ginny

PM sent! thank you so much for the offer!
This South Texas heat will put them to a test for sure.
If they set fruit here they should just about anywhere

tuk50 · June 12, 2011

Carolyn, in answer to your question .. I agree with Tracydr, it has also been my experience that they are slow here producing fruit till now... I noticed my first one on the vine about 3in long and the vines have been blooming for a while now. I think it is because here on the desert the night temps are much lower. As an example .. last month the day was 93f and that same night was 48f ... some plants handle this well and some do strange things compared to where the daytime highs and nighttime lows are close together.. I also think this is partly why we can be above a 100f during the day and still set tomatoes. I meant to mention another vegetable that reacts to the cool night temps... Asian yardlong beans... my greenbeans have about given out and will get replanted soon, but the yardlong (planted at the same time) have just now got about 6in tall and I replanted another row last week and they are the same size as the ones planted a month ago and looking much greener and stronger.

hornstrider · June 16, 2011

Duane.........I planted from seed this spring here in Central Texas, and they have taken off. They have overtaken my trellised Cucumber patch. Flowers, and fruits galore. I can't give them away fast enough. The plant leaves are very healthy, and the hotter it gets the more fruit I pick. I will grow again next year, and probably grow in the fall. I highly recommend!!

June 8, 2011	#1
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Armenian cukes I have read that they do well in the heat and am giving thought to ordering some seed to give them a try in this South Texas inferno. Those of you that have grown them, is it worth the effort or a waste of time. And a suggestion as to where I might get seeds would be great __________________ Duane Jones

June 9, 2011	#4
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Thanks for the info, appreciate it __________________ Duane Jones

June 9, 2011	#6
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	It is already past prime planting time here and I was thinking about giving them a try anyway. In an area that doesnt get full sun. With the heat they probably wont do well even though they are advertised to do well in such conditions. I will probably wait until I have more to order than just them for seeds and give them a try in the future. __________________ Duane Jones

June 12, 2011	#14
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Carolyn, in answer to your question .. I agree with Tracydr, it has also been my experience that they are slow here producing fruit till now... I noticed my first one on the vine about 3in long and the vines have been blooming for a while now. I think it is because here on the desert the night temps are much lower. As an example .. last month the day was 93f and that same night was 48f ... some plants handle this well and some do strange things compared to where the daytime highs and nighttime lows are close together.. I also think this is partly why we can be above a 100f during the day and still set tomatoes. I meant to mention another vegetable that reacts to the cool night temps... Asian yardlong beans... my greenbeans have about given out and will get replanted soon, but the yardlong (planted at the same time) have just now got about 6in tall and I replanted another row last week and they are the same size as the ones planted a month ago and looking much greener and stronger. __________________ Hangin on for dear life!

June 9, 2011	#2
davespitzer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East of Stockton, California Posts: 97	Territorial seed has them. Mine are just now starting to show some growth- maybe too cold, certainly too wet the last few weeks.

June 9, 2011	#5
Duh_Vinci Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Locust Grove, VA Posts: 292	Ted is TX also, he mentioned growing them in this thread... Growing them for the first time this year, little slower at first compare to the rest of the bunch (Diamant, Cross Country, Diva, Boston and few more), but now, that the warm weather is stable, plenty of flowers, and few fruits have set. Regards, D

June 10, 2011	#7
chalstonsc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: sc Posts: 339	I'd like to know too....can't grow a regular cuke in the heat around here either

June 11, 2011	#8
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Mine just keeps getting better and better as it gets hotter in Phoenix. This is the second summer I've grown them. They never get bitter, even if you let them get huge, 12-18 inches in size. I usually eat them at 6-8 inches because I prefer very tender skin and no seeds.

June 12, 2011	#9
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have had no luck with mine this year but last year they did alright and they produced well after all the other cukes had died. They are very sweet and mild. For the amount of flowers they produce they don't set very many fruits but it doesn't take a lot of foot long cucumbers at one time for a salad.

June 12, 2011	#10
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	duajones, I have some Armenian cuke seeds if you would still like some. Just send me your addy and I will get them out this week. I grew A.C last season in my GH and outside. I had them climbing up a trellis. The ones in G.H did very well. Healthy plant that spread out and climbed up all the way to the top of the ceiling.. set lot's of flowers, production was avg. but lasted all season long. The fruit will get really long, but I picked most at the 10 inch stage and they tasted absolutely wonderful..You can eat the skin and all..Crisp and sweet, slightly mild flavor .. Ginny

June 16, 2011	#15
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	Duane.........I planted from seed this spring here in Central Texas, and they have taken off. They have overtaken my trellised Cucumber patch. Flowers, and fruits galore. I can't give them away fast enough. The plant leaves are very healthy, and the hotter it gets the more fruit I pick. I will grow again next year, and probably grow in the fall. I highly recommend!!