Thai Five Star Cucumbers

I tried a new kind of cucumber this summer, one that can handle...or rather, thrive...in hot weather months. Traditional cucumbers tend to peter out for me when the temperatures really rise, so I wanted to try something different, as I like cucumbers! So, I bought some Thai Five Star Cucumber seeds. I planted two or three seeds in partial shade, directly in the ground. At first, I was disappointed because all I got was a sprawling vine with lots of flowers but no cucumbers. This vine really likes to travel much further than the traditional ones I have grown in the past! The vine has begun to produce now, in a big way. Last week I got a couple cucumbers, and saw a couple more on the way. Yesterday when I went out, I had SEVEN that were ready to pick! Wow!

The cucumbers are seedy, but because I have been picking them fairly early the seeds are small and not objectionable. They are not quite as sweet as as others I have planted, but they have a very good flavor. The cucumbers are very light green with white when very young, with the white turning to yellow as they get older. They are oblong and quite fat, and mine are about 7 inches long at their longest. Pickle worms have completely left them alone, at least so far.

Next time when I plant them, I will give them a little more room to roam, as they are sprawling and climbing on everything easily within a ten foot radius of where I planted them, and that is with me steering their end vines back into the vine mass and off my walkway. They are also getting quite friendly with my asparagus patch!