Puccini (Cucumber/pickling)

Pickling Cucumbers - Parthenocarpic Types

Must Be Isolated From All Regular Pickles And Slicing Cucumbers

Parthenocarpic pickles provide some very distinct advantages to pickle growers – they produce mature pickles without seeds and do not require pollination from bees or insects in the field and do not need pollination from male flowers on the same or neighboring plants. They will also set pickles during poor weather. Regular pickles will not set during hot, cool or rainy periods when extreme temperatures destroy regular pollen or bees are prevented from flying. Parthenocarpic pickles will hold longer on the vine before they get too large, which allows for larger once over harvests rather than multi harvests during the week. Growers can expect to harvest these new types for a period of 6-8 weeks, which should provide higher total yields per acre than regular types. These types MUST be isolated from other normal pickles or slicers which produce their own male pollen and cause damaging cross pollination. Until recently, most parthenocarpic types did not look like North American pickles – they had much smother skin. NOTE: The variety listed has two advantages over previous parthenocarpic types. (a) It does not become rough and ugly during extreme heat and (b) It resembles North American types with a more similar exterior skin during harvest period.

CULTURE: For early northern crops start seed indoors May 1st in 2 1/4 in/6 cm peat pots @ 3 seeds per pot, 1/2 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 - it saves walking! TRANSPLANTING: We usually wait until the soil warms up (June 10th. - 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. Control bugs and disease with weekly applications of Sevin XLR and Captan (or organic methods). For use of an insecticide treatment contact your local government control agency for advice. 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 @ 2 lbs/1 kg per acre in hills (4 seeds per group), thin to 2 seedlings per hill. Commercial growers must avoid providing bee colonies to improve yields in the planting area where parthenocarpic types are used.  Male pollen from regular cucumbers will destroy your crop.