The Mexican cucumber produces a bountiful harvest. It tastes brilliant

Do you enjoy growing interesting crops that aren’t very well known here? Of course, it’s nice to show off something exotic that will amuse others – and that they’ll actually enjoy eating, too. The Mexican cucumber is a typical example in this respect. It’s a crop that truly originates from sunny Mexico. In our climate, it can be grown in the garden without any major problems. We’ve done just that, and we’d be happy to share our experience in the following paragraphs.

When and where should you plant Mexican cucumbers?

The ideal spot for a Mexican cucumber is one that is as sunny as possible, but sheltered from strong winds. It simply needs plenty of warmth and light. It certainly doesn’t need to be grown in a greenhouse; we have ours outside in a vegetable patch and it’s growing brilliantly. As for soil requirements, it isn’t very demanding either. We only fertilise with cow manure in the autumn, and in the spring we added a little shop-bought all-purpose potting compost.

Mexican cucumber: Photo Radek Stepan

Support and regular watering are enough

We planted the Mexican cucumber seedlings in the second half of May – simply when there was no longer any risk of frost. Mexican cucumbers are among those crops that only need watering. We generally did this once every two to three days. Even now, in fairly intense heat, a two-day interval is optimal. Make sure, above all, that the Mexican cucumber has something to climb on. You should expect it to spread out in all directions and cling to anything with its small, long tendrils. It looks marvellous, though, and tiny yellow flowers will start to form all over the plant, from which the little cucumbers will then develop.

Tip: Why are cucumbers bitter? You can save them with these tricks.

How big are the fruits and what do they taste like?

Definitely don’t expect to end up with any giant fruits at home. These are really tiny little cucumbers, which can be around 1 centimetre long at most. You can see for yourself in our photos. They’re full of small, soft seeds and taste just like our regular cucumbers. They’re ideal for eating straight away. Straight from the patch into your mouth. We haven’t tried preserving them yet, but if the yield is really high, it might still be possible this year.

Sources: Author – grower

Mexican cucumber: Photo and photogallery Radek Stepan