Who grows mini cucumbers?

I was recently at a grocery store that I don't normally shop at, and so the produce selection was different.  I bought these mini cucumbers from Windset Farms and I love them!  Does anybody grow them?  I want to know what seeds to order!  Here's a video that shows what the plants are like, but he never says the variety name:

My wife has bought them a few times too! I'm afraid to ask the price  but my kids love em! Oh, I've never grown them or seen seeds for Mini cucs.

Did you watch the video?  They grow so fast!  So cool!  And then they train them six feet up the trellis and then they have them grow back down.  Also cool!

I couldn't watch it yet. Our internet is down right now here at the house, so I've got the whole family tethering off my phone... If you find some, let us know! They're a great size for the kiddos, and I've been known to throw them in my lunch box too.

http://www.seedratings.com/category/vegetables/cucumber-seeds

Harvesting a regular cucumber when small doesn't do the trick?

I grew Alibi's in 2011 for pickles and they worked well.

gwennifer wrote:I was recently at a grocery store that I don't normally shop at, and so the produce selection was different.  I bought these mini cucumbers from Windset Farms and I love them!  Does anybody grow them?  I want to know what seeds to order!  Here's a video that shows what the plants are like, but he never says the variety name:

I wonder if it's this one?? says seedless and small, grows fast??  http://www.territorialseed.com/product/5553

I'm growing a round ball cucumber variety called crystal lemon / apple cucumbers.
 The biggest I ever managed to grow was 2 & 1/2 inches in diameter though normally they only got to 1 & 1/2 dia before we ate them
 
I don't have any to show you at the present as we are a good month behind normal growing seasons due to cold and rain

 They are slightly prickly /hairy , are a stripy lemon colour , have a slight citric taste & scent as well, they don't repeat on me or give me indigestion  ........  unlike normal elongated cucs

camprn, thanks for the link!  I found some varieties I want to try.

Unmutual, I don't know - that's why I started the thread!  I know the Marketmore cuc's I grew last year are certainly not the same when harvested small.  These are still narrow, yet 5" long.  The skin is smooth and thin - don't have to peel it to eat it.  They have a nice crisp bite to them, but aren't crunchy like they're too raw or anything.  Me likey.

happycamper, The pic of the Alibi cucumbers looks like a nice classic pickle to me!  I'm surprised the description says they are only 3" long.  Definitely not smooth like what I'm looking for.

southern gardener, Nope, they aren't Rocky's.  Territorial describes those as one bite cucumbers that are only 2-3" long!  They do look the same though, if you didn't know the dimensions.  I did check all the seed catalogs before posting. 

Plantoid, I never knew cucumbers caused people to burp before reading about them these last couple of days!  So, uh, is that why some varieties are described as burpless?  

Well everyone, on the Windset Farms website, they have TM symbols after the names of all the vegetables they grow.  These are called Fresco^TM Mini Cucumbers.  I suppose it's safe to say then, that these are a hybrid that the farm has created and trademarked so the seeds are not for sale.  

They describe them as "the English cucumber's understudy".  Has anyone grown English cucumbers and can tell me if they can be harvested really young?

There's also multiple type of english cukes.  I'm growing a long anglais one this year along with improved telegraph.  The improved telegraphs are the classic hothouse cucumbers you see in the store.  I've harvested them small, but small is about 8 inches long and a inch in diameter.  Improved Telegraph link.  

What you're describing I typically see as baby persian cucumbers.

Yes, I think these are Persian cucumbers but they are very popular in England as well. I was in a Middle Eastern market this week to get some Persian ingredients and they had baskets of tiny cucumbers. However, I'm not sure about Green Fingers. I bought and planted Green Fingers from High Mowing Seeds this year and it is labelled a beit alpha type (i.e., a Middle Eastern type cuke) but they say it grows 8-10 inches long. Another variety they have, Picolino, might be more what you are looking for.

The variety I grow is Iznik, available from Jungs and probably from other sources as well. I grow them and love them!

Rocky

I saw that you already said you are not interested in Rocky, but it is what I grow. It is hard for me to pick them this small, but it is ready and sweet to eat at this size. They are still yum-o-lishis at twice this size. Pricy! 10 seeds for $7 + shipping. I must have got them while Ray was still working. SO good. But I will be looking for something more affordable when I am out of these.

Lavender Debs wrote:...They are still yum-o-lish-is at twice this size.

Debs thanks for posting this!  See, I'm new to cucumber growing.  It didn't occur to me if the catalog said they grow 2-3" that you could just let them continue to grow bigger.  Good to know - but oh my, you are right about them being spendy!

I guess they are a hybrid that can't be reproduced from seed?

Marc Iverson wrote:I guess they are a hybrid that can't be reproduced from seed?

It does say they are a hybrid, but I'm not sure that can be solely responsible for the price? I mean, I know for sure plenty of tomatoes are hybrids and I can find whole seed packets for a buck with those.  

gwennifer wrote:

Marc Iverson wrote:I guess they are a hybrid that can't be reproduced from seed?

It does say they are a hybrid, but I'm not sure that can be solely responsible for the price?  I mean, I know for sure plenty of tomatoes are hybrids and I can find whole seed packets for a buck with those.     

Yes and yes

Yes Marc they are hybrid. TSC makes sells a few other hybrids, some seem reasonably priced (like my dull but prolific and pretty Grandma's pic tomatoes... priced just like other packets of TSC tomato packets but they only have about 10 or so seeds in a packet.  The pretty and yummy Purple peacock broccoli (not even a hybrid but a cross between broccoli and kale) was expensive like these cukes but had lotsa seed in the pack.

Yes gwennifer, these are also seedless and I don't know how you breed for that trait, but apparently it is expensive.

I just bought some Baby Cucumber Persian (hybrid).  I did not notice that there were only 8 seeds in the pack for $3.49 (Botanical Interests).  Grow 4" to 6" long...yummy, non-bitter flavor and are seedless, with firm but thin skin that is completely edible...parthenocarpic...do not require a pollinator or pollination to set fruit...Persian cucumbers are also called Beit Alpha cucumbers, only produce female flowers so every flower is capable of producing a cucumber...no bees or other pollinating insets are needed.

My cucumbers get infested with pickle worm each year and this parthenocarpic cucumber can be covered with tulle or row cover to keep out the pickle worms.  So I may get cucumbers all summer for a change.  Vines are 3 to five feet so I may be able to cover them successfully.

The packet also talks about bitter tasting cucumbers.  Cucumbers produce a chemical called cucurbitacin which produces a slight bitter flavor, and causes minor indigestion in some people.  Varieties without this chemical are called burpless.

Yolos, please let us know how they do. I tried Cool Breeze parthenocarpic cucumbers in my greenhouse house last year, and I was disappointed in their production.

I'd like to find another parthenocarpic cuke to grow in my greenhouse.

I see this is an older thread but it's something I've been trying to figure out too.  Was anyone ever successful with finding a good, small, seedless cuke?  I've come up with a variety of options (a few were mentioned earlier on the thread).  I actually just posted this is the "Winter Pepper" thread in response to someone's (sorry can't remember who) query about mini-cukes but thought it might fit better here when I saw this thread...

"I think the closest are likely Picolino, which are an F1 hybrid that is best picked at 4-5".  Other options include: Baby Persian F1 (aka Green Fingers - once source says 3-5", another says 8-10"), Rocky F1 (3.5"), Katrina (5.5-6.5"), Amiga F1 (6"), Manny F1, Socrates F1 (7"), and Tyria F1 (14").  Basically, English Cucumbers (aka burpless, European, hothouse, seedless, gourmet, greenhouse, japanese, mediterranean, and persian).

I haven't ordered any seeds yet as I don't have the funds this year but I'm still looking to see if I can turn any up in a trade or locally.  Let me know if you find out any other options or actually give it a go!"

I have two Picolino cukes under my grow lights right now. I'm trying to wait another week or so to put them out so they hopefully won't get battered by the wind. I bought the seeds from Pinetree Gardens Seeds and they even admit that the seeds are pricey and a bit of a splurge. It was $2.95 for 5 seeds but if they grow the way they are described then they will pay for themselves quickly. Those little cukes are EXPENSIVE in the stores! Hopefully if this thread doesn't get buried I'll remember to check back with their progress.

I agree, probably a Persian Cucumber. I planted a bunch of Armenian cucumber seeds based on the assumption they are the same - crunchy skin and great for snacking or Greek salad.  Now that I saw the video, I'm all excited!!!!

LOL!!! I just Googled Armenian cuke and I was soooo wrong!! Just the opposite, in that they grow 24" long. Oh well...looks like I'll have to find some Person cuke seeds to plan and find a use for the Armenian cukes, if I'm successful growing them. Maybe I'll cut them in slices, add rice vinegar and sugar, like in the Japanese restaurant. That's what they do with English Hothouse cukes.

bonnie0128 wrote:I see this is an older thread but it's something I've been trying to figure out too.  Was anyone ever successful with finding a good, small, seedless cuke? 

Yes, I found Persian cuc seeds at Renee's online.

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