SPERLI Zitronengurke Lemon

Yellow flowers, yellow fruit: the Lemon cucumber bears cucumbers that, as its name suggests, recall lemons – a cheerful splash of colour in the vegetable bed.

The story

Origins & history

Cucumbers belong to the large gourd family and have their roots in India. They have been grown in Central Europe for centuries; Germany’s Spreewald, for example, is still known today for its pickled cucumbers. Over time gardeners have preserved an astonishing variety – not every cucumber is long and green.

Uses

Lemon is not a hybrid and needs a sunny spot in the bed. Harvest runs from July to September. The yellow fruits bring colour to the salad bowl and harvest basket and are a fine conversation starter over the garden fence.

Meaning

Variety names such as Lemon tell us how people see plants: we compare the new with the familiar. And so a yellow cucumber became a ‘lemon’ – a small mix-up that is fun to play along with.

A thought for giving

One small packet gives around 25 plants – more than one garden needs. An invitation to share the harvest.

At a glance

• Contents: 1 packet for approx. 25 plants
• Botanical name: Cucumis sativus
• Life cycle: annual
• Position: sunny
• Sow indoors: March–May
• Sow outdoors: May–June
• Harvest: July–September
• Sowing depth: 1–2 cm
• Germination temperature: 20–25 °C
• Germination time: 7–14 days
• Plant spacing: 30 cm
• Row spacing: 80 cm
• Seed type: loose seed

How to sow

1. Sow indoors from March to May: place seeds 1–2 cm deep in Jiffy pots (Jiffy-Quelltöpfe).
2. At 20–25 °C the seeds germinate in 7–14 days.
3. Direct sowing outdoors is also possible in May and June.
4. Plant in full sun, 30 cm apart with 80 cm between rows, ideally in courgette and pumpkin compost (Zucchini- & Kürbis-Erde).

Delivery time: 1–2 weeks. Manufacturer: SPERLI GmbH. Seeds, not a plant – the image shows the original packet.

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