Growing Non-GMO Straight Eight Cucumber Vegetable Seeds
Latin Name: Cucumis sativus
Hardiness Zone: Annual 3-11
Days to Maturity: 55-60
Days to Germination: 3-10
Seeding Depth: 1 Inch
Plant Spacing: 36-48 Inches
Row Spacing: 36-48 Inches
Plant Height: 6-12 Inches
Growth Habit: Vining
Soil Preference: Loamy, sandy, fertilized, well drained
Temperature Preference: 65-85 °F
Light Preference: Full sun
Pests and Diseases: Watch for cucumber beetles, squash bugs, aphids. Mildew and spotting may occur in poorly drained soil.
Straight Eight Color: Softer green skin compared to some dark slicing cucumbers
Straight Eight Flavor: Sweet and crunchy
How to Grow Straight Eight Cucumber from Seed
Cucumber is a warm weather crop best if begun indoors 4-6 weeks prior to final spring frost. Plant 3-4 seeds 1" deep per individual cell in loamy, sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6-6.5. Seeds germinate in 3-10 days, transplanting best starts 36-48" apart in the garden once true leaves establish. Cucumbers perform best when grown on 8" tall mounds and provided a trellis to minimize crowding. Shallow roots will benefit from regular watering and top layer of mulch. Bush varieties perform well in pots and containers.
Straight 8's are extremely dependable at producing a crop. Bad luck with other cucumbers last season, then this is the one to try this year. Eight inches of perfect straight cucumber slicing excellence! You'll be giving them away to the neighbors there are so many!
Straight Eight Cucumber in the Vegetable Garden
The Straight Eight is large with a small seed cavity. Since this variety is mature in just fifty eight days, a steady harvest can be achieved by planting regularly throughout the season. AAS Winner. 8 inch fruits are dark green with white spines and small seed cavity.
Straight Eight cucumber seeds need full sun and should be planted in warm soil with a pH level between 6 and 6.8. Sow the seeds an inch deep with 36 inches between plants. If you are using a trellis, a foot between plants is adequate. Cucumbers will need regular watering while growing. When ready to harvest, cut the Straight Eight cucumbers at the stem.
Harvesting Straight Eight Cucumbers
Many varieties of cucumber are ready for harvest about 60 days from sowing while smaller pickling varieties may be ready sooner. Ripe cucumbers are solid green and firm, becoming bitter and yellow if left on the vine too long. Classic slicing cucumbers are sweetest when 7-9" long, becoming starchy and grainy when reaching 12" or more. Remove fruits with scissors or a knife rather than twisting or plucking to prevent damaging the vine.
Cucumbers are a great garden vegetable to eat right off the vine, in a salad, or mixed into plain yogurt with herbs.
About Straight Eight Cucumber Garden Seeds
1935 All-America Selections - Vegetable Winner
Straight Eight Cucumber was introduced by Ferry Morse in 1935
1937 MacFayden Seed Co. catalog says Straight Eight Cucumber seeds...
"A real forward step in Cucumbers. Received the Gold Medal Award in the All American Trials, 1935, and the Mark of Approval of the Manitoba Market Growers' Association on inspection of our Trial Grounds last season. Well grown, it ... ... 8 inches in length, just what the Market wants; is uniformly cylindrical and retains its dark green color, flesh is thick; seed cavity small; flavor excellent. It is early, following the early Pickling sorts in maturity. The most outstanding cucumber developed to date. Originator's stock."
1947 Pike Seed Co. catalog says about Straight Eight Cucumber seeds...
"8 inches in length and about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The long, dark green fruits are well rounded at the ends and show no objectionable striping at the tips. A heavy cropper."
1950 Lindenberg Seed Co. catalog says about Straight Eight Cucumber seeds...
"A favorite for home or market, fruits are straight and about 8 inches long. Its even deep color and symmetrical shape are outstanding characteristics."
1968 Buckerfield Seed Co. catalog. says about Straight Eight Cucumber seeds...
"We consider this one of the best varieties offered, having a good deep color and superior flavor. The fruit is about 8 inches in length and 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter."
Recommended by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. "These seed varieties have been tested and proven resilient in the Florida backyard garden."
