Persian cucumber

[Ms. Jitomate]

I planted a Persian cucumber in July (I know it was kind of late but it looked so healthy at my nursery and I had already failed with a Burpless.) It is October and it is still doing great! This is my first time growing cucumbers so how much longer can it continue to produce? I sprayed it with water the last few days because I saw ants and aphids but it is still looking good. What I like about it is that there is very little white mildew compared to a Burpless variety I bought earlier which immediately got mildew. That one got yanked out.

It is seedless when it is green, if I let it go to a yellow color will the seeds develop? I would like to grow this next year.

I really like it because I don't have to peel it to eat it. I can eat it with the skin and it's pretty good.

[Alpinejs]

When you say "Persian", are you referring to Persian Baby Green Fingers?
If so, that is our very favorite cuke even though rather small but the vines are
quite productive. I also grow a Japanese variety more for the novel effect as
they grow to almost 18" and the Persians are only about five. But, "Baby
Greem Fingers" is by far our favorite.

[Worth1]

Does this cucumber come with a flying carpet or a magic lamp?

Worth

[carolyn137]

When I see the name Persian cukes I'm thinking of what I know as snake cukes, aka Armenian cukes,there are several versions with different colors, I love them all. They grow very long and curl, thus the name snake and don't have to be peeled if harvested before they get too old, as in turn yellow when they become mushy and inedible.

True cukes are in the genus and species Cucumis sativis but the snake ones are really melons and are C. Melo.

https://www.google.com/#q=snake+cucumbers

Carolyn

[DeanRIowa]

I grow a cucumber from Iran(Persia), which I purchase years ago from Fedco called "Super Zagross Middle Eastern Slicing Cucumber", it is a Beit Alpha type. I plant them every year and love them, they are thin skinned(i don't peel), almost burpless and mostly better free, they have become my must grow cucumber.

I eat them at 6" for fresh eating during the growing season and then near end of season let them grow and use them for canning pickle relish.

The first couple of years they would die out of mildew 3/4 of the way through the growing season, but since I trellised them they now last till end of the season(mine actually died last night with killing frost).

Enjoy!

Dean

[Ms. Jitomate]

These Persian Cucumber are 5" - 7" and three plants were in the 4 inch pack. I didn't separate them when I planted it. I like them so much but they appear to be seedless. I have not been able to find seeds to plant again next year. I think DeanRIowa, you are growing a similiar cucumber. I looked up "Biet Alpha" and found this link that describes varies Dutch type cucumbers, but no mention of Persian Cucumber. It seems they are "gynoecious (producing only female flowers) and parthenocarpic, so they require no pollination." Too bad, I would have liked to saved some seeds. I'm going to let one to turn a yellow ripe color to see if I might get a seed.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cv277

The description from Fedco describes a delicious cucumber:
1382SZ Super Zagross Middle Eastern Slicing Cucumber (54 days) Open-pollinated. Green smooth-skinned fruits refreshingly cool, enjoyably mild and almost completely free of the bitterness quite common in American slicers. Zagross does not bear as heavy early sets as the hybrid Amira, but it sustains its cropping power longer, so the cukes will keep coming as long as you keep harvesting. Elaine Carlson makes succession plantings two weeks apart for “months of good eating. So thin-skinned juicy and refreshing,” she concludes. All seed is held over; tested at 96%.

What does "All seed is held over" mean? If I don't get seeds from my yellow cuke, I'll order from Fedco. Thanks!

[Alpinejs]

I get my seed for the Persian Baby Green Fingers from Renee's Garden (www.reneesgarden.com). I also grow the Armenian cukes to which Carolyn refers and like
them a lot also, but the Persians still gather top honors. Give them a try. You will love them.

All this from a guy that never used to like cucumbers. Egad!! Don't tell me that if I mess
with this gardening long enough I will start to like rhubarb and okra??? Heaven forbid!

[GunnarSK]

I tend to agree with Carolyn that this is an Armenian cucumber, same as a Turkish "cucumber melon" (cucumber tasting melon).

[Ms. Jitomate]

downsized_1022131344.jpg

This is my Persian Cucumber. There's 4 cucumbers ready to be harvested today. Note the size of the cucumbers; it's the same size as the 5" spaces of the nylon trellis. They are not mini's and they are not the light color of the Armenian cucumber. I suspect they are the Biet Alpha type cucumber. Now I know to look for a Middle Eastern type of cucumber for next year for my southern California weather.

[carolyn137]

Persian does not always equate to Iranian.

Those who spoke Persian emmigrated to many areas and usually those went to new lands took seeds with them.

Perhaps the following link explains it best, and best for me is to equate theword Persian with Middle Eastern.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_people

Just noting from a comment above that Armenian cukes are available in three different colors, while, light green and a very dark green.

Carolyn

[Ms. Jitomate]

So I guess this is it for my Persian cucumber. Its mid-November and it is getting cooler here in the San Gabriel Valley. The leaves are yellowing and the cucumbers are taking a bit longer to get bigger. It also looks like the leaf miners have discovered it. I see their trails in the leaves and my cucumbers appear scratched. Last week's flowers are not doing anything.

I ordered my Beit Alpha seeds for next spring. Hopefully it will be just as good.