Cucumber 'Tanja'

Organic Cucumber 'Tanja' seeds

‘Tanja’ cucumbers are a monoecious variety, meaning that each plant produces both male and female flowers. Male flowers will typically develop first and female flowers will follow afterwards when there is already a plentiful supply of pollen available for fertilisation.

Growing schedule: Sow in pots from mid-March to May for planting in final position from late May once all risk of frost has passed. 'Tanja' can be grown outdoors in favourable conditions but all cucumbers will usually grow best indoors in the Irish climate.

Sowing depth: 2 cm

Germination: Cucumbers germinate between 12-30°C, with 23-26 °C the optimal temperature range.

Planting distance: 50 x 100 cm

Growing conditions: Cucumbers grow best in warm conditions and prefer fertile, moist, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. To avoid waterlogged conditions around the roots, cucumbers can be planted into small mounds or raised ridges. Cucumbers are frost sensitive.

Ongoing care: 

• Provide support for cucumbers to grow upward.
• Keep soil moist as cucumbers suffer when allowed to dry out completely. Mulch well and dampen the soil and paths nearby on very hot days.
• 'Tanja' is a mixed flowering variety. Pick off male flowers to prevent bitterness in cucumbers.
• Use Horsetail to spray the plants and ground to prevent mildew and fungi.
• Water with high potash feed such as Vinasse every two weeks to support growth and fruiting.

Harvest: Pick all ripe cucumber fruits off the vine as they mature. Leaving mature fruits on the vine will cause the plant to stop producing. Harvest from July onwards until first frost.

Number of seeds: Each packet contains 16 organic seeds.