Cucumber Seeds - Mini Munch F1

4 Seeds.

Other Names - Indoor Cucumbers, Greenhouse Cucumbers, All Female Type…

• Greenhouse, all female variety with a superb flavour, producing a heavy crop of small 7 - 10 cm 'lunchbox' sized cucumbers
• Or if preferred leave to grow longer!
• RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

Suitable For - Greenhouse, polytunnel, conservatory, grow bags

Sowing Months - February - May

Harvest - June - early October

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• The leaves of the Comfrey plant can be used to make a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer ideal for giving a nutrient boost for cucumber plants.
• The strong smell of French marigolds will help to deter the whitefly.

Soil Preperation

Grow in good quality compost or if growing direct in the ground in a polytunnel or greenhouse add some well rotted manure or compost to the growing area a few months before planting. 1 - 2 weeks before planting add some general purpose organic fertilizer and remove any weeds.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Sow 1 seed on its side per 5 - 7 cm plastic or biodegradable pot at the depth suggested above. Ensure enough heat is introduced for good germination. Once the seedlings have germinated move to a warm area with good daylight exposure. Keep the compost moist but do not overwater. The seedlings should be ready to plant out into their final growing position 3 - 4 weeks after sowing.
Plant 1 cucumber plant per large container or 2 plants per large growbag. Carefully firm the compost or soil around each plant and water well. If growing direct in the ground plant 45 cm apart.
Greenhouse cucumbers like Mini Munch must be grown in a warm humid greenhouse or polytunnel with a minimum temperature of 15°c.

Direct Sowing

This variety in not suitable for growing outdoors in the UK.

Growing On

Keep the soil moist. When watering, water around the base of the plants rather than over its leaves. Greenhouse varieties do not need pollinating. To prevent pollination happening (as this will produce fruit with a bitter flavour) all the male flowers should be removed. However as Mini Munch is an all female variety no male flowers are produced (so identifying and removing male flowers is not necessary in this case :)
The main shoots of the cucumber plants will need to be trained onto a 1.8m cane or string (attached to the roof of the greenhouse). Loosely tie the stem to the support. When they reach the top of their supports, to stop them growing any taller, pinch out the growing points at the top of each plant.
Once the cucumbers begin to develop, the end of each side shoot will need to be pinched out leaving only two leaves after each fruit. Doing this will help to encourage more side-shoots to grow (which will encourage more cucumbers to grow)
Cucumbers like humid conditions. During the peak of summer wet the floor of the greenhouse with water on a regular basis to keep the conditions humid.

Harvesting

The first cucumbers can be ready to harvest around 12 -13 weeks after sowing.
Mini Munch can be harvested when around 7 - 8 cm long or if preferred allow to grow a little longer. Cucumbers are best harvested when young and tender.
To harvest, cut with a sharp knife, secateurs or scissors. Do not pull the fruit off the plant as this can easily damage the brittle stems. Greenhouse cucumber varieties can produce fruit well into October (depending on the temperature).
Harvesting regularly will encourage more cucumbers to grow.