Cucumber Seeds – Big Variety – High Yield & Easy to Grow – Green Thumbs RDZY

Cucumbers are native to India and were introduced into China 2,000 years ago. They were then brought to Europe, most likely first into Greece, from which their cultivation spread into Italy, Germany, and France. Pliny the Great stated that cucumbers were grown in Africa as well as Italy in his time, and that the Emperor Tiberius (14–37 ad) had cucumbers at his table every day. Cucumbers were grown by Christopher Columbus in Haiti in 1494. In 1539, Hernando De Soto found varieties of cucumbers in Florida that were better than those grown in Spain, and cucumbers were also reported to be grown in Virginia in 1609. Early cucumber varieties were not as smooth or symmetrical as current varieties, and breeding work to produce hybrids did not begin until 1880.The United States harvests cucumbers for two basic purposes: pickling and fresh marketing. In 2012, the 11,200 farms in the northeast states produced more than 6,600 acres of cucumbers. The value of production for the United States is over $410 million. Pennsylvania produced 337 acres of cucumbers, primarily for fresh marketing.MarketingFresh-market cucumbers are usually available in Pennsylvania from the end of June until the end of November. They are traditionally sold in 47- to 55-pound wooden crates or cardboard boxes. Several marketing alternatives are available to the cucumber grower: wholesale marketing, produce auctions, cooperatives, local retailers, roadside stands, and pick-your-own operations. When planning production, first consider your ability to market. You should conduct some market research because often growers overestimate their ability to sell in a given market. Production of less than one acre of many vegetable crops is typical for most growers.In wholesale marketing, producers often contract with shippers to market and ship the cucumbers for a predetermined price. If you do not use a contractor and ship your cucumbers to a wholesale market yourself, your product will be subject to the greatest price fluctuations. Produce auctions operate weekly; however, you must deliver the cucumbers to the auction. Marketing cooperatives generally use a daily pooled cost and price, which spreads price fluctuations over all participating producers. Local retailers are another possible market, but you must take the time to contact produce managers and provide good-quality cucumbers when stores require them. Depending on your location, processors may or may not be a marketing option. Processors are less likely to contract with small-acreage growers (those with fewer than 5 acres). For more information on marketing, consult “"