Details

Edible Qualities

Straight Eight Cucumber is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces dark green long cucumbers (which are technically 'berries') with light green flesh which can be harvested at any point. The cucumbers have a sweet taste and a crunchy texture.

The cucumbers are most often used in the following ways:

  • Fresh Eating
  • Eating When Cooked/Prepared
  • Pickling

Care

Planting & Growing

Straight Eight Cucumber will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Straight Eight Cucumber is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing the canvas against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Attracts Pollinators, Butterflies
Family Name Cucumber
Flower Color Yellow
Foliage Color Green
Genus Name Cucumis
Edible Yes
Growth Rate Fast
Hardiness Zone (annual)
Harvest Season Early to Late Summer
Landscape Uses Garden, Container
Light Needs Full Sun
Mature Height 8 inches
Mature Width 5 feet
Prune Time Should Not Need Pruning
Water Needs Average to Moist