West Indian Cucumber Seeds

West Indian Cucumber Seeds (Cucumis anguria) 15 seeds

The West Indian Cucumber, Cucumis anguria in Latin, is an exotic vegetable plant that produces small oblong and thorny fruits, green becoming pale yellow when ripe. Its taste is very similar to that of cucumber, it is sweet and without bitterness. It is eaten young, raw in salad, fried or as a condiment, preserved in vinegar, like gherkins. This small vegetable is sown in a warm place in April for a harvest in July-September.

Native to Africa and belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, the West Indian Cucumber is a perennial vegetable plant grown as an annual in our climates. It is sometimes called Gherkin Cucumber. It has lobed green leaves and produces small oblong and thorny fruits, green becoming pale yellow when ripe. Cucumis anguria can be grown both horizontally, letting it creep at its ease, or vertically, trained on a solid wire mesh.

From its African origins, this vegetable has retained a certain requirement for heat, its cultivation in a greenhouse is strongly recommended in regions where the summer remains temperate. It thrives in the sun in rich and well-drained soil.

Harvest: the harvest takes place from July to September, it occurs when the fruits turn yellow.

Storage: Freshly harvested West Indian cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days before being pickled in vinegar.


Gardener's tip: Like all cucurbits, this small cucumber can be subject to powdery mildew: white felting then appears on the foliage. It is advisable to remove the leaves that are too affected and to spray with wettable sulfur every 2 weeks. In the event of a minor attack, you can also treat the plants with skimmed milk, diluted 10 to 20% in rainwater. As a preventative measure, avoid watering the foliage and remember to ventilate your greenhouse well if the crop is grown under cover. A horsetail decoction spray can also be used to strengthen the resistance of the foliage.

Reproducible seeds harvested exclusively in the Pot'à'Jo garden, a horticultural and permaculture market garden of 1500m². Everything is cultivated there with deep respect for nature and their inhabitants. I have been growing my own seeds from seed to seed for years.