Cucumis sativus
Origin: Kyoto, Japan
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~15
Germination tested 12/2024: 94%
Life cycle: Annual
We spend a lot of time perusing the USDA's National Plant Germplasm System database, and every so often we find an entry so tantalizing we just can't resist trying it. This was the case with the 'Kyoto Three Feet' cucumber. We figured the name must be an exaggeration, for the only cucumbers we've ever encountered that get so long are actually not cucumbers at all, but melons that are treated like cucumbers (like the so-called "Armenian cucumber" type). We didn't have space to grow it ourselves — with plans to grow two other cucumbers already — so we sent the seeds to grower Jason Mills in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We only have Jason's photos and descriptions to go by, but it's clear 'Kyoto Three Feet' does not disappoint. When fully ripe, some of the fruits legimately reached near three feet long!
This is a Japanese slicing cucumber from the ancient capitol of Kyoto. The skin is smooth and bright green with sparse spines. The seed cavity is narrow. It's a great variety for fresh eating or pickling. The plants will produce just fine sprawling on the ground, but fruits are likely to achieve greater length if grown on a strong trellis. According to the USDA, this variety is also highly resistant to Melon Mosaic Virus (MMV). The USDA received the seeds in 1975 from Takii and Company, Limited — Seed Growers and Merchants, located in Kyoto. We can't find any other information about its history, but we will keep looking. (It's pretty amazing that this extraordinary cucumber has been in the US government seed collection for 50 years and is only now being introduced to commerce here!)
