Cucumber - Armenian
I got these seeds from Baker Creek, SeedsNow, and from trades. I'll be honest here, while researching this variety I was a little disappointed. I thought I had several varieties, but it turns out they're all the same, just going by slightly different names. The Armenian cucumber is also called Yard Long cucumber, Uri, Snake Melon, and Serpent Cucumber. SeedsNow calls them Armenian White, and has them additionally labeled as Metki Serpent Melon (not to be confused with Metki Painted or Metki Dark which are different varieties).
Though it may taste like a cucumber, Armenian Yard Long cucumbers are actually melons (Cucumis melo) and will cross pollinate with your muskmelons, cantaloupes, and other melons. The fruits easily grow over 24 inches long, but are best eaten when they are less than 15 inches long (when they start to have more developed seeds). The light green (almost white) ribbed fruits make an interesting flower-shape when sliced. You can grow these two ways. You can grow them in a mound like you would a melon crop, and let them sprawl out. This will produce twisted, kinked, and oddly shaped fruit. You can also grow them up a fence or trellis, which will produce straight fruits with less chance of odd angles. A note here, I was not able to get an accurate measurement for how long these vines will grow, but there were several references to it growing 10-15 feet in a season in warmer climates. This plant needs a lot of space. Use that to your advantage. I bet it would do well growing up an arbor to help provide shade.
Armenian cucumbers are drought resistant and while they're a little later to produce than most commercial cucumber varieties, they are prolific. Make sure you pick the fruits daily to keep up. The more you pick, the more they will flower and grow more! Best suited to warm climates, it can be grown in shorter season gardens, but it may not be as productive.
Fruits are solid and meaty, burpless, with thin skin that doesn't need to be peeled (unless you pick them large). Typically used for pickles and relish, this variety also does well sauteed or eaten fresh in salads, with dip or dressing, or just plain with salt and pepper. For folks who can't have cucumbers, this is an excellent replacement.
55-75 days to maturity
Though it may taste like a cucumber, Armenian Yard Long cucumbers are actually melons (Cucumis melo) and will cross pollinate with your muskmelons, cantaloupes, and other melons. The fruits easily grow over 24 inches long, but are best eaten when they are less than 15 inches long (when they start to have more developed seeds). The light green (almost white) ribbed fruits make an interesting flower-shape when sliced. You can grow these two ways. You can grow them in a mound like you would a melon crop, and let them sprawl out. This will produce twisted, kinked, and oddly shaped fruit. You can also grow them up a fence or trellis, which will produce straight fruits with less chance of odd angles. A note here, I was not able to get an accurate measurement for how long these vines will grow, but there were several references to it growing 10-15 feet in a season in warmer climates. This plant needs a lot of space. Use that to your advantage. I bet it would do well growing up an arbor to help provide shade.
Armenian cucumbers are drought resistant and while they're a little later to produce than most commercial cucumber varieties, they are prolific. Make sure you pick the fruits daily to keep up. The more you pick, the more they will flower and grow more! Best suited to warm climates, it can be grown in shorter season gardens, but it may not be as productive.
Fruits are solid and meaty, burpless, with thin skin that doesn't need to be peeled (unless you pick them large). Typically used for pickles and relish, this variety also does well sauteed or eaten fresh in salads, with dip or dressing, or just plain with salt and pepper. For folks who can't have cucumbers, this is an excellent replacement.
55-75 days to maturity