As a garden writer by trade and a voracious gardener by nature I am constantly seeking out information on plants – specifically heirloom varieties. When I came across the Red Hmong cucumber listed for sale a couple of years ago I couldn’t resist ordering a few.
I planted the first seeds from that purchase on February 1st of this year, unsure if they would germinate at all. The image above was taken an hour ago and as you can clearly see, germinate they did. I have never had vegetable seeds germinate and grow so quickly; these four seedlings are already more than an inch tall each!
A Little History Lesson on the Name
While you might be tempted to think that the name is indicative of the color of the fruit, that wouldn’t be accurate in this case. The name actually traces back to the Hmong Do (Red Hmong) people of the mountainous regions of Asia. It is believe that this seed stock was brought to the United States by an immigrant.
As I have never grown this variety before, the jury’s still out on how the production and flavor will be, but I am looking forward to finding out. The photos I have seen and information gathered from outside sources tell me that the fruit will be large, mild and golden-yellow in color. If these seedlings are any indication they are going to be powerful, strong plants.
