Citadel (Cucumber/pickling)

52 days. A dark green gynoecious type with an industry leading disease package that includes resistance to Downey Mildew. Its fruit set is concentrated and medium plant type, well suited for machine harvest operations. L/D ratio 3.1. Pkt. contains 50 seeds.

CUCUMBERS - PICKLING for market & home garden

2-3 lbs/1-1.5 kg per acre; 1 oz/28 g per 100 ft/30 m of row

CULTURE: For early northern crops start seed indoors May 1st. in 2.25 in/6 cm peat pots @ 3 seeds per pot, 0.5 in/13 mm deep, cover seed lightly and firm. Germinate @ 70°F/21°C soil temp. seeds will not sprout properly at lower temps. After germination lower air temp. to 65°F/19°C to prevent soft growth. Feed lightly with 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer and apply fungicide and insecticide 10 days before setting plants outdoors. Repeat fertilizer, fungicide and insecticide the day you transplant while plants are still in flats.

TRANSPLANTING: We usually wait until the soil warms up (June 10-15th.), cucumbers are too soft for those cold, early June nights unless some sort of protection is used. Space plants in rows 4-6 ft/125-175 cm apart and 12-24 in/30-60 cm apart in row. Water thoroughly and mulch with straw, black plastic or hay between the plants. Apply additional fertilizer before blooms appear. Hybrids require 50% more fertilizer than regular types to prevent crooked fruit.

DIRECT SEEDING: Sow outdoors when soil temps. have reached 65-70°F/18-21°C about June 10th in the North. Repeat sowings until July 15th. Sow @ 4 lbs/2 kg per acre in hills (8 seeds per group), thin to 4 seedlings per hill. Large commercial growers increase yields by providing one bee colony for every 2 or 3 acres. Home gardeners usually have plenty of insects at blossom time for pollination but should limit the use of insecticides when plants are blooming.