I’ve grown Cucumbers. Normally i hardly manage to grow a descent crop, but this was a good year. Thanks @ThomasPicard for insisting trying them.
It was great fun! Hairy or completely white, looking like dinosaur eggs, and quite normal ones.
At first i was a bit hesitant to try them as they were so different to what i’m used to. But i’ve gotten into the mode of cooking with them, as their taste is stronger i add them to the cooking rice last minute, stir fry them in eggs, or keep them overnight in a bowl of water.
They’re starting to go out now, but i think i’ve had them stored on my kitchen table for two month. I could have kept them on the plants, but grew them in the hoop house and needed the space. I think if i would have kept them on the plant and stored unheated after they would have stored until Januari.
I’m planning to select for longer keeping ones. Prices are mad up in the shops and with all the war waging in the middle east could have easily doubled by next year.
If somebody wants to grow these out in Europe region or has good genes to add. Welcome.
Hello Hugo! I was searching for brown skinned cucumbers and found your thread. I am really curious about the results of your cucumber landracing project. What have you done the last couple of years? What did you end up selecting for? What did you harvest this year?
I am trying to decide which varieties to start with. My mind is a tornado of ideas with all the possibilities in all the crops. Trying to figure out how to organize my brain, haha! So let’s start with cucumbers!
I loved the idea of keeping cucs on the shelf, not needing to refrigerate. But please, do tell me what happened to your selection.
I have a bit of a problem with space. When i discovered the Sikkim variety really liked it outside the hoophouse i decided this year to grow them outside again, so i could grow gurkins inside it ( which completely failed for some reason).
But to my surprise the Sikkim seeds, (if we can still call them that ) turned more like normal cucumbers. Their skin becomes brown and veiny later in development, or half of the cucumber. I’ve grown them next to my normal cucumbers so they probably have crossed again.
My ‘normal’ cucumbers have turned a lot sweeter over time while i haven’t really selected for that trait. A lot of diversity i had 2 years ago disappeared completely, while i made sure to add that diversity in. I kept seeds from white mothers seperately and made sure it was present in the seed mix.
I can conclude that they cross really well where i am and adapt well. Steering populations should not be a problem. Your post reminded me to start seperating the differing populations better and reintroduce some diverse original Sikkim varieties seeds to enter the differing hybrid swarms.
I would like to grow with you next year, esp if your seed is grown outside. My cucumbers didnt do well for me this season at the new location which is much more nutrient poor and drought prone. I will grow them less extreme next year with more mulch and add a bit of organic fertilizer.
Thanks so much for sharing your detail update! You reminded me of the joy to truly Landrace, I still go back in my mind thinking about maintaining varieties instead of enjoying the mix and adaptation. It’s freeing to let go and embrace whatever nature will do.
I will plant outside - it will be rough in my cool weather, but I guess plants will self select pretty soon. Hope I get some good results from the Brown Cucs.
I am getting Brown Russian and Gagon varieties. I wonder how they differ from your Sikkim…
