Excelsior – Organic (F1) Cucumber Seed

Attractive, high-yielding pickler for the greenhouse.
Excelsior produces dark green, blocky, nicely proportioned 4–5" cucumbers with American-style spines. Vigorous, balanced plant with consistent fruit setting. Excellent flavor. Also does well in screen houses, in the field under row cover, or wherever else pollinators are absent. Parthenocarpic and gynoecious. High resistance to scab and target spot; and intermediate resistance to cucumber mosaic virus, cucumber vein yellowing virus, and powdery mildew. Organically grown. Avg. 21,000 seeds/lb. Packet: 30 seeds.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cucumis sativus
CULTURE: Requires warm, well-drained soil high in fertility, with a pH of 6–6.8. Consistent, adequate irrigation is needed to produce an abundant crop. Cucumbers are very sensitive to cold. Make sure both soil and air temperatures have warmed prior to planting. Using plastic mulch and row covers will greatly enhance the vigor and potential yields of cucumbers by providing warmth and insect protection. For greenhouse or high tunnel production the use of gynoecious and parthenocarpic varieties is highly recommended.
TRANSPLANTING: Sow indoors in 50-cell plug trays, 1–2 seeds/cell, 3–4 weeks before transplanting. Keep temperature above 70°F (21°C) day and 60°F (16°C) night. Transplant 12" apart in rows 5–6′ apart. Do not disturb roots when transplanting.
DIRECT SEEDING: Wait until soil is warm, at least 70°F (21°C). Cucumber seeds will not germinate at a soil temperature below 50°F (10°C). Sow 2 seeds/ft., 1/2" deep, in rows 6′ apart. Thin to 12" apart.
DISEASES: Practice crop rotation, residue sanitation, and choose disease-resistant varieties. Control insect pests to prevent bacterial wilt.
INSECT PESTS: Exclude cucumber beetles with row covers at planting, or control with insecticides such as pyrethrin or azadirachtin.
HARVEST: Once fruit bearing begins, pick daily.
STORAGE: Hold cucumbers at 45–50°F (7–10°C) and 90% relative humidity for up to 2 weeks.
NOTE: If seedless cucumbers cross-pollinate with seeded cucumbers, they will yield seeded fruits. Generally, seedless types are grown separately in greenhouses or hoophouses with insect screens installed to prevent cross-pollination of seeded and seedless varieties.
DAYS TO MATURITY: From direct seeding; subtract about 10 days if transplanting.
AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE: 30 seeds/15′, 100 seeds/50′, 250 seeds/125′, 500 seeds/250′, 1,000 seeds/500′, 15M/acre at 2 seeds/ft. in rows 6′ apart.
TRANSPLANTS: Avg. 85 plants/100 seeds.
SEED SPECS: SEEDS/LB.: Avg. 20,200.
PACKET: 30 seeds, unless otherwise noted.