This reliable heirloom dates back to the mid-1800s when it was offered for sale by several seed companies. The seedsavers at Victory Seeds report it was bred from an even older variety called ‘Long Green Turkey’ that dates back prior to 1778.
In 1889, the Wm. Henry Maule Seed Company referred to Improved Long Green as one of their ‘Boss Cucumbers’. Here is a description of Improved Long Green from their catalog:
Every day last Sept I was constantly in receipt of numbers of as fine Cucumbers as anyone would wish to see. They were sent [to] me in competition for the $50 premium offered for the best Improved Long Green, grown from Maule’s Seeds in 1888. C. S. Bird, Muscatine, Iowa, finally secured the premium with a most beautiful specimen measuring 18 inches in length. I do not believe such an assortment of handsome Cucumbers was ever seen before, and I am confident in describing this variety, no words of praise can be too strong for its merits. They are always of superior quality, firm and crisp, growing 12 to 20 inches long. The young fruit makes one of the best of pickles while when ripe they are the best of any for sweet pickles. Vines are strong growers, and fruit is always produced in great abundance, making it one of the most productive varieties in cultivation.
Improved Long Green is early for such a long cucumber, 60-70 days. It has long vines, up to 6 feet, that do well on the ground, but a trellis helps.
How to Plant: Start indoors or outdoors. If starting indoors, start 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Sow 2-3 seeds in individual peat pots, coir pots or other container with moist seed starting soil. Sow seeds about 1-2 cm (½ -1”) deep. Place container on a heat mat or in a warm area. Soil temps of 15-30C (60-85F) are best for germination. Once seedlings are up (7-10 days) place seedlings under grow lights or in a sunny spot. Thin to 1 seedling per container. Transplant outside once the weather warms up (when temperatures are consistently above 5C, preferably 10C). Space seedlings 12”-24” apart. If starting outdoors, wait until the weather warms up, which usually means early June. Sow 2-3 seeds in holes about 1-2 cm (½ – 1”) deep, spacing holes about 6” apart (then thin to 1 plant/12”-24” when seedlings are up). Keep soil moist until seedlings emerge. Pick cucumbers frequently to encourage production.
Photo 1 caption: Page from Wm. Henry Maule Seed Company catalog, 1889.
Photo 2 caption: Vegetable happy face (with Improved Long Green cucumber, Patty Pan squash and Early Girl tomatoes from our garden).
