Favorite mini/snacking cucumbers?

[Seven Bends]

Does anyone have recommendations for a mini, snacking-type of cucumber -- meaning, mini versions of the thin, shiny cucumber types known as Persian or Beit Alpha or maybe English? I've noticed a lot of these in catalogs now (e.g., Mini-Me, Picolino, Party Time, Baby, etc.) but have no experience growing them and don't know what to choose. Looking for something for outdoor growing, not greenhouse/hoophouse. Thanks!

[AKgardener]

I’ve started these new ones called patio I’ll let you know how they do once they get going.

[Kurt]

https://www.reneesgarden.com/products/f ... coQAvD_BwE

I buy them in the market in jars,perfect for my sandwiches,tuna salads.Cukes do not grow down here well.

[ddsack]

I've grown Picolino F1, 2 or 3 plants per large pot for at least the past 5 or so years. I find them very early, productive and the vines stay short, I can wind them around a wire support in the pot. The seeds are rather expensive though. I start seeds early for growing in pots, they stay in the greenhouse until the weather warms up, then the pots are moved outside. I start other cuke seed in the garden ground to make for a longer harvest. As long as you fertilize the pots regularly, they do well. Here is a pot from a previous season, it already had three eating size cucumbers on it despite a low leaf crown.



I've grown a few others like Iznik and Harmonie f1 which has fuzzy spines, but they sprawl a bit more and not quite as early for me.

[svalli]

Best mini cucumber, which I have grown is Hopeline F1. Unfortunately I cannot find any seed source in U.S.. I grow it in greenhouse, but I believe that in warmer climate than ours, it could grow well also outdoors. https://mr-fothergills.co.uk/products/cucumber-hopeline
Iznik is also a good one.

[Stitchingmom]

I love Green Light Hybrid. It's parthenocarpic.

[FatBeeFarm]

I planted Iznik last year and it was one of my few plants that didn't care about the record breaking rain. I put three plants in one corner of a 4 by 8 bed. I thought they were going to be bushy and would work there, but they got huge quick. I then tried to contain them in 4 foot tall cages I make out of livestock fencing. They grew up through them, through the rest of the bed and into five tomato cages I had growing dwarf tomatoes. I was picking cucumbers out of my tomato plants all summer lol. The Iznik are gynecious and parthenocarpic and just insanely productive and delicious. They make a very long vine though. I must have picked 5 gallons of pickles from each plant. Highly recommended. They were a little bigger than easy snacking though, maybe 4 inches long and an inch across.

Anyone know what the growth habit of H-19 Little Leaf is? I want to try them this coming year and don't know what to expect in terms of size. It will make a difference where I put them in the garden.

[Cranraspberry]

@FatBeeFarm I grew Little Leaf last year and it performed very poorly - the plants were tiny and hardly produced, but maybe they were smothered out by my larger cucumbers on the same trellis. I’m not planning on growing them again and can share some seeds if you’d like, just PM me your address. County Fair is a BW-resistant pickler that did amazing, I’m a big fan of that one, but it’s a large plant.

I also purchased some Mini-Me seeds last year but never got around to planting them. Looks like they don’t love the heat and are better for spring/fall according to the description.

[rossomendblot]

Socrates, Party Time and La Diva have all been pretty good for me.

[BettyC-5]

I've grown Beit Alpha and it is a nice smooth skinned cuke. Harmone is also good but has a little rough/fuzzy skin that is easy to clean up. Both are really good.

[Seven Bends]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! Several varieties here I hadn't heard of before; time for some research.

[worth1]

I kinda figured any small slicing or pickling cucumber would fit the bill.