Crystal Apple is a very prolific heirloom cucumber, bred in New Zealand and first offered by seed merchants in 1934.  The fruits and round, sweet and tender growing to the size of a small apple.

Culinary Uses

A wonderful variety for snacking on when walking around the garden, the perfect size to eat all at once with no waste.  Alternatively Crystal Apple Cucumbers make a great addition to salads when sliced.  

Cultivation

Cucumbers produce both male and female flowers.  The female flowers have the swelling at their base which will develop into the Cucumber once pollination occurs.  If the young Cucumbers fail to grow or grow only slight and turn yellow, the most common cause is a lack of insect pollinators.  You can pollinate plants by hand by removing a male flower, gently peeling back the petals, and rubbing the pollen from the anthers onto the stigma at the centre of a female flower.  Cucumbers prefer a freely draining soil rich in nutrients which can be provided by adding rotted manures, compost or any other type of organic fertiliser to the soil if lacking.  Cucumbers grow in full sun but prefer to be shaded for part of the day, especially during hotter months in the subtropics and tropics.

When To Sow

In the tropics, sow Cucumber 'Crystal Apple' seeds from April to August.  In temperate and subtropical areas sow during Summer or Spring for best results, but make sure to avoid planting during early Spring if your region experiences late frosts.

How To Sow

Sow Cucumber seeds 15mm deep, spacing each seed about 50cm apart to allow room for the vines to grow.

Germination Time

Cucumber seeds germinate rapidly, with most seedlings emerging from the soil between 7 and 13 days after sowing.

Time To Maturity

Expect to harvest your Crystal Apple Cucumbers in as little as 11 to 12 weeks after sowing.  Most of the early flowers will be male so make sure to check before getting your hopes up.  Harvesting the Cucumbers as soon as they are ready will encourage the plant to produce even more flowers. 

The first Crystal Apple Cucumber of the season growing on the vine.

Sliced in half.