Pickling Cucumbers versus English/Japanese Cucumbers

This is my first time growing English or Japanese cucumber plants. I have been growing pickling cucumbers for years so I have plenty to make pickles with, but I don’t like them that well for just eating because they can be bitter.

I love English cucumbers for salads, but have only bought them at the grocery. I haven’t ever had Japanese cucumbers as far as I know. I decided to try both this year and planted them in the same trough.

I started all the cucumber seeds at the same time, and transplanted them into the troughs at the same time. They have identical growing conditions–same soil, same water, same amount of sunlight. VERY DIFFERENT RESULTS so far.

There are FOUR plants in each of these troughs:

I have to keep training the pickling cucumbers (Sumter variety) on the trellis to contain them so they don’t start growing all over my poblano peppers that are in the next trough. I just have to move the velcro gardening tape further up the posts every few days to keep the English and Japanese cucumbers on the right path.

If I plant another round of pickling cucumbers, I think that I will only plant two plants. Four seems to be a little much. Both troughs have lots of flowers on the plants and are starting to set fruit. I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to find all the pickling cucumbers because the leaves and vines are so thick.

Based on their current progress, I suspect that I will be making pickles in the near future.