Description

The Garden Jewel, American Heritage and the Cucumber of Perfect Abundance

Marketmore is the cucumber that makes a garden feel generous.

This cucumber climbs and sprawls with bright green confidence, leaf after leaf unfurls like little flags of summer. Almost overnight, the vines begin to hang their jewels. The cucumbers are long and straight, glossy, and crisp. Marketmore is so refreshing they taste like the garden itself. Slice one, and you get that perfect cucumber perfume: green, clean, and faintly sweet. The flesh is firm and juicy, never watery. The skin stays pleasantly tender when harvested at the correct size. This is the kind of cucumber you can eat with salt and nothing more. It will still feel like you’re eating something exquisite.

The Marketmore cucumber is beloved because it provides what every gardener secretly wants: steady vines, dependable harvests, and uniform fruit. Marketmore has that classic slicing-cucumber crunch that holds up in salads, sandwiches, and pickles.

A whisper of history

Cucumbers trace their roots to South Asia, where they were cultivated for thousands of years before spreading through the Mediterranean and Europe. In North America, cucumbers became a garden staple for fresh eating and preserving.

Marketmore emerged in the mid-20th century as a modern classic. It was bred for reliable performance, uniform dark-green fruit, and strong garden resilience. It became a go-to variety because it produced what markets and home gardens both needed: cucumbers that look beautiful, taste clean and fresh, and keep coming all season.

What You’ll Grow

• Plant type: Warm-season annual vine
• Growth habit: trailing or trellised; vigorous
• Vine length: typically 1.8 – 2.4 m (6 – 8 ft) when trellised
• Fruit type: slicing cucumber
• Fruit size: typically 18 – 20 cm (7 – 8 in) long
• Skin: smooth, dark green
• Flesh: crisp, firm, juicy
• Flavour: fresh, clean, lightly sweet cucumber flavour

Days to maturity: typically 50 to 70 days from planting (varies with heat and harvest size).

Growing Instructions

Cucumbers love warmth, rich soil, and steady moisture. The secret to truly crisp fruit is consistency, especially with watering.

When to Plant

• Direct sow after the last frost when the soil is warm
• Target soil temperature: 16°C (60°F)+

Direct Sowing (Preferred)

• Plant seed 2.5 cm (1 in) deep
• Sow in hills (small mounds) or rows

Hill method (excellent for drainage + airflow):

• Plant 3 to 4 seeds per hill
• Space hills 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in) apart
• Thin to the most vigorous 1 to 2 plants per hill

Row method:

• Space plants 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) apart
• Space rows 90 to 120 cm (36 to 48 in) apart

Germination: typically 7 to 10 days in warm soil.

Starting Indoors (Optional)

• Start 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost in individual pots/cells (cucumbers dislike root disturbance)
• Transplant carefully after nights are warm

Soil + Site

• Full sun is best (8+ hours)
• Fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter
• Target pH 6.0 to 7.0

Before planting:

• Work in compost or well-rotted manure
• Cucumbers are heavy feeders 

Watering (Crispness Lives Here)

• Aim for 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) of water per week
• Keep moisture consistent; drought stress can cause bitterness and misshapen fruit
• Water at the base to reduce disease
• Mulch to conserve moisture and keep fruit clean

Feeding

• Side-dress with compost or a balanced fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks during active growth
• If vines are lush but fruiting is slow, ease up on nitrogen and ensure good pollination

Trellising (Highly Recommended)

• Trellis to save space, improve airflow, and grow straighter fruit
• Use netting, cattle panels, or sturdy stakes
• Train vines gently; don’t force brittle stems

Pollination Notes

• Cucumbers need pollinators for the best fruit set
• Encourage bees with flowers nearby; avoid spraying during bloom

Pest Notes

• Watch for cucumber beetles, aphids, and general chewing damage
• Row cover early can help; remove once flowering begins for pollination

Harvesting (Pick Often, Get More)

• Harvest at 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 in) for classic slicing size
• Pick when fruit is firm, dark green, and glossy
• Use pruners or a knife to cut fruit (don’t yank vines)

Productivity Tip

Harvest every 2 to 3 days in peak season. Regular picking signals the plant to keep producing.

Preserving + Storage

Fresh cucumbers are best used soon after harvest.

• Store at 10 to 13°C (50 to 55°F) if possible (too cold can cause pitting)
• Use within several days for peak crunch

Preserving options:

• Pickle: dill, bread-and-butter, or garlic spears
• Ferment: classic salt-brine pickles for probiotic crunch
• Relish: chopped cucumber with onions and peppers

Culinary Notes: Clean, Crisp, and Endlessly Useful

Marketmore is made for everyday summer eating.

• Fresh slices: with salt, vinegar, or a little dill
• Salads: Greek-style, creamy cucumber salad, or tomato-cucumber bowls
• Sandwiches: thin slices with cream cheese and herbs
• Cold soups: cucumber-forward gazpacho
• Pickles: holds its crunch beautifully when harvested young and firm

Prep Tip

For the crispest pickles, harvest early in the day and pickle within 24 hours.

Canadian Climate Notes

Marketmore is a strong choice for Canadian gardens because it’s reliable and productive when grown in warm conditions.

• Wait for warm soil before sowing
• Use mulch or black plastic to warm the soil in cooler regions
• Trellis for airflow (helps reduce mildew pressure)
• Keep watering steadily to prevent bitterness

Growing zones: 2 to 10 (annual; warm-season crop).

Seed Saving

Cucumbers are easy to save, but they cross readily.

Isolation & Cross-Pollination

• Cucumbers cross with other cucumber varieties (not with squash or melons, but they will cross with other cucumbers)
• For true seed, isolate by distance as practically possible, or only let one cucumber variety flower

How to Save Seed

1. Choose the healthiest vines and best-shaped fruit
2. Let a few cucumbers fully mature on the vine until they turn yellow and soften
3. Scoop seeds into a jar with a bit of water and ferment for 2 to 3 days (removes gel coating)
4. Rinse well; good seeds sink
5. Dry thoroughly on a screen or plate (stir daily) until seeds snap, not bend
6. Store cool, dark, and dry

Seed viability: typically 5 to 8 years

Marketmore is the garden jewel, a cucumber that keeps its promise: crisp, dark-green perfection, harvested again and again until summer feels endless.