Heirloom Japanese Long Cucumber" Sooyow Nishiki" ( 10 Seeds) Tender,doesn't Need Peeling Cucumber  Japanese Cucumber "Sooyow Nishiki" Heirloom, Organic ! Cucumis sativus This open pollinated sooyow type cucumber is easy to grow and heat tolerant. The skin is dark green with defined ridges and fine white spines that are easily removed by washing. It doesnt need peeling. The fruit has sweet and very crisp flesh. It has a monoecious flowering habit (plant produces both male and female flowers.) It produces more female flowers on the secondary and tertiary vines, so thats where most of the fruit will be harvested. Warm season annual. #Approx. 50 seeds in packet. (A seed will vary in weight and size within a given seed lot. The number of seeds stated is only an estimate.) #Maturity: Approx. 50-60 days #Planting season: Spring/summer Growing Tip Start plants indoors about one month before the last spring frost in your area, or outdoors after all danger of frost and the soil has warmed. Plant in rows, hills or on trellises. Good performers in large containers. Harvest frequently to keep the plants producing. How to Plant Cucumbers Cucumbers can be planted in containers, rows, hills, or raised beds. Be warned: one plant produces a lot of cucumbers. And, some plants can produce all summer long. So, think about spacing out plantings to harvest all season. Containers/Hills A hill of cucumbers. Know what this it? Because, I thought I had it down pat, and I was wrong. I thought it was about mounding the dirt for water retention around the roots. Well, sort of, but theres more to it than just that. Vine crops are often grown this way, like cucumbers, squash, and melons. The idea of hill planting is to start the root system in the center. From there they grow outwards, not competing with each other for water or soil nutrients. Again, hill planting is for your vine cucumbers. Hills need to be about 3 feet apart. Plant about 5 or so seeds in the hill. Once seedlings have established, reduce to only three plants. Instead of pulling up the seedling, just cut it off. This will prevent any disruption to the root system. Remember, vine cucumber plants are better trellised. These plants have healthier vines, and harvesting is easier since you can see the fruit. Check here for a ton of information on home grown trellised cucumbers. Raised Beds You can plant any type of cucumber in a raised bed. The benefit of using raised beds with cucumbers is soil drainage. Raised beds, in general, will provide well drained soil. I keep saying raised beds are my preferred gardening method. Theres a reason I say this: it makes gardening easier! Its easier to reach the vegetables, control soil health, and control pests and weeds. Suggestions: Keep fruits picked to encourage more production. . Keep soil moderately moist during germination. Water deep and feed every 3 weeks. Reminder: Plant some fresh dill for homemade pickles.