Baby Hybrid Cucumber Seeds

Days to Maturity: 46 from direct sow

The name says it all. Baby is a gourmet delight, ready in just over a month to harvest as mini cukes, yet also delicious when grown to full size. Now you don't have to choose between a full-size and a baby variety—you can have both in one.

This charming cucumber is ready to harvest at just 3 inches. The baby cukes are tender and succulent, with glossy dark green skin and a good solids-to-juice ratio. Slice them for canapes or pop them into your mouth whole. They're the perfect little bite.

You can also extend your harvest, continuing to grow Baby past the baby stage and to its full size of about 6 to 6½ inches and 10 to 11 ounces. It loses none of its flavor or texture as it matures.

Destined to become your favorite cucumber, Baby is as easy to sow and grow as any other variety. Direct-sow the seeds ¾-inch deep into the soil as soon as it can be worked in spring, spacing (or thinning) the seedlings 6 inches apart. This vining plant will reach up to 6½ feet tall, so stake it or grow on a fence or trellis. New little cukes will be dangling from the stems before you know it.

Baby is very adaptable to unseasonably cold or warm climates, and very easy to grow. It needs no pruning, and its fruit is a fat-free source of potassium and vitamin C.