West Indian Burr Gherkin Cucumber Seeds

West Indian Gherkin Cucumber Seeds | Exotic Mini Cucumber | Heat-Tolerant Heirloom Seeds
Cucumis anguria
Listing is for 1 packet of minimum 15 seeds

West Indian Gherkin cucumbers (Cucumis anguria) are a rare and unique heirloom variety native to Africa and long cherished throughout the Caribbean and tropical regions. Unlike common cucumbers, these small, oval, spiny fruits grow on vigorous vining plants and have a pleasantly crisp texture with a slightly tangy, refreshing flavor—perfect for pickling, fresh salads, or traditional Caribbean dishes. This resilient variety thrives in hot, humid climates and is more pest and disease resistant than regular cucumbers. For best results, sow seeds directly into warm soil after frost has passed, provide a sturdy trellis for the vines to climb, and harvest the fruits when they’re about 1–2 inches long for the best flavor and crunch. A beautiful, heat-loving addition to any tropical or summer garden!

Ideal Growing Conditions

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Keep soil consistenly moist but not waterlogged

Fertilizer: Cucumbers benefit from regular fertilizer. Use an all purpose organic granular fertilizer like Espoma Garden Tone, so you can fertilize in small amounts, about 1/4 cup every 7 to 10 days. You can easily burn plants if fertilizing this often with a synthetic fertilizer, thus why I recommend organic. Keeping nutrients consistent, makes the plant grow lots of new healthy green growth to outpace all the growth that is catching diseases.

When & How To Sow Seeds: For a spring crop: direct sow seeds after your last spring frost date. For a fall crop: direct sow seeds at the end of summer. Use square foot gardening guidelines to grow 2 cucumber plants per square foot. Or dig a shallow trench right under a vertical trellis structure, sprinkle in the seeds, and cover with about 1/2 inch of soil. You can sow cucumber seeds pretty densely. Keep the soil moist for better germination. If you have multiple rows, space them with 3-4FT in-between for better airflow. Or you can sow seeds indoors, 6-8 weeks before your target date of transplanting into the garden. Use a 4inch pot or a solo cup with holes cut out of the bottom for drainage. Fill with seed starting mix. Sow 2-3 seeds per container.

Germination: 7-14 days

Days To Maturity: 75 days after direct sowing the seed

How & When To Harvest: Harvest when they’re about 1–2 inches long, and are still all green and plump, before they start turning yellow. 

Common Diseases: Cucumbers get a lot of leaf diseases caused by pathogens like molds, fungus spores, bacteria etc.... It is very common, so dont worry. Spray with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to clean and disinfect. Repeat every 5 days or so as a preventative, or until you notice the spread of the disease has stopped. 

Common Pests: Critters like rabbits love to munch on newly germinated seedlings, so protection from small animals might be required. If you notice the leaves are chewed up and there are small black, green, or orange balls, worms/caterpillars are chewing up the plants. Spray with BT or spinosad to treat for the worms.    

Do I have a YouTube video tutorial on how to grow this? YES

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/_aj19Mv2Lsg

Additional Tips/Information: N/A