Heirloom Korean cucumber variety. Pale green-white body with dark green shoulders, fruits are between 6-8" long. Refreshingly crunchy and dense when young. This variety matures to a beautiful russeted golden color, growing to be over 1' long with a circumference the size of my forearm. Known as 노각, they are a special fall favorite around the Korean countryside where they are seen at local markets. An interesting fact is that Korean cucumbers exhibit a high percentage of pistillate (fruit bearing) flowers. Their genetics have been used extensively in producing high yielding pickling cucumbers in the US, enabling mechanized harvesting. Vigorous plants grow incredibly robust vines and are not generally susceptible to pests. Their pistillate flowers are born on lateral shoots, so it's necessary to encourage branching. Avoid pruning to one central leader.

Days to Maturity: 60-70 days from transplant for young fruit. An additional 30 days for nogak.

Growing Tips: Cucumbers are warm season annuals. They prefer fertile soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH ~6.5. Make sure your soil has a reasonable amount of stable organic matter, and amend with compost prior to transplanting. These Korean cucumbers flower most prolifically in late summer. Pruning can encourage flowering and fruit set. DO NOT prune to one central leader! When the main leader grows long enough, prune at the 5th-7th node. This will encourage lateral shoots to develop. These lateral branches are where fruit bearing flowers develop. If pruned to the one main vine, you will end up with predominantly staminate (pollen producing) flowers and less fruit. They can be trellised to keep fruit straight, and make harvesting easier, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Joseon Shorty thrives in open field conditions. For young fruits, plan to harvest every other day or every three days. For nogak, allow plants to stay on vines until skin turns golden and mottled. Fruit should still be firm.

When to Plant: Direct seed once soil temperatures are adequately warm: >70F. Start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks prior to transplanting in field in 50-cell trays.

Planting Depth: 1/2”

Spacing: If direct seeding, plant a seed every 6”. Once plants are established, thin or transplant so that plants have 12-18” between them. Keep pathways wide enough to maneuver through.

Sun: Full or Partial.

Water: These are water loving plants. To ensure good fruiting, consistent adequate watering is needed. Irregularities in irrigation can result in bitterness or low fruit set.

Grower: Namu Farm, Winters, CA