Friends, rather than selling and shipping seeds, we now share seeds as an embodied gift practice. We are shipping all orders prior to August 28th as quick as we can, though your seeds may not arrive ’til October. Thanks for your patience and grace! Learn how to receive seeds from us & here are our FAQs.
Tangy, sweet and gloriously crunchy, we love Jamaican Gherkins as juicy 1 to 2-inch fruits. Delectable raw, pickled or cooked like summer squash, Jamaican Burr Gherkin are extremely productive as well as pest and disease resistant, being an entirely separate species from most cucumbers. If you love their tang, go ahead and harvest them larger than 1 inch; if you love a more traditional cucumber flavor, go small.
We could not keep up with harvesting them in the cool summer of 2014 and they produced all the way until the first frost from a June planting. Originating from West Africa and brought to Jamaica, likely braided into the hair of kidnapped enslaved people, we were given these seeds by Adaptive Seeds and are thrilled how well they produce in the Northeast.
Planting Method: Direct Seed Recommended
To Direct Seed: Sow after last frost, 2 seeds every 2 feet (thinning to 1). Two-gallon containers or larger will produce the most fruit.
For Transplanting: Sow indoors 2-3 weeks before last frost in peat pots (plant entire pot) or soil blocks to minimally disturb roots when transplanted. Harden off and transplant after last frost.
Seed Depth: 1/4 inch Days to Germination: 10 at 70°F (21°C); 3 at 80°F (26°C)
Sun Needs: Full
Spacing (after thinning/transplanting): 2 feet; 30-36 inches between rows
Trellis for easier harvest & less disease pressure.
Days to Harvest: 65 Height: 5-foot+ vines
Harvest: We love Jamaican Gherkins as juicy 1 to 2-inch fruits, delectable raw, pickled or cooked like summer squash. If you love their tang, go ahead and harvest them larger than 1 inch; if you love a more traditional cucumber flavor, go small.
Bohuslava (Bonnie) McFarland –
We grew these on a trellis. Very vigorous grower. The vines were bejeweled with numerous, delightful cucumbers. Just pluck off the vine, give the skin a little rub, and enjoy. Crispy and juicy.
Heather –
YESSS! They are the cutest little morsels!