Cucumber, Muncher

The Muncher cucumber plant is a favorite among gardeners for its prolific and tender produce. It is a low-acid slicer that produces smooth, nearly spineless, medium green cucumbers that are crisp and delicious. The skin of the Muncher cucumber is thin and tasty, making it easily edible. This variety is non-bitter and burpless, and the cucumbers can be eaten fresh when they reach 8-10" long and 2-3" wide. They can also be pickled when young. The vines of the Muncher cucumber plant are strong and vigorous, producing heavy yields and are resistant to cucumber mosaic virus . The Muncher cucumber plant requires warm, well-drained soil with high fertility and a pH of 7.0 for best results. It is best to plant the seeds only after all danger of frost has passed and the ground is warm. The plants should be grown in full sun, and it's recommended to sow a few seeds over a hill with well-drained soil. For smaller gardens, the plants can be grown alongside a fence or trellis. When the plants are 2" tall, they should be thinned to 3 plants per hill. It's also advisable to plant at 3-week intervals up to midsummer for fresh cucumbers all season. The fruits should be kept picked to ensure continuous production . The Muncher cucumber plant is known for its disease resistance, including resistance to scab, cucumber mosaic, downy mildew, and powdery mildew. It is a Middle Eastern Beit-Alpha type, so the skin is very smooth and practically spineless. The cucumbers are delicious, burpless, and never bitter. The vines are compact and strong, making the Muncher cucumber a fine choice for container growing. The cucumbers can be eaten raw like an apple and are well suited for pickling if picked at 4"-6" long. The plant reaches maturity in about 60 days and can produce cucumbers that are 9" long at full maturity . The Muncher cucumber plant is best grown in warm soil with a minimum temperature of 70°F for good germination and growth. The seeds take about 3-10 days to germinate, depending on the soil temperature. The plant reaches a height of 1'-4' at maturity and requires full sun. The spacing after thinning should be between 18"-48".