Discovering The Indian Snake Cucumber: A Heat-Tolerant Cucumber For Your Garden
Welcome to my garden blog! I'm Jerra, a lifelong gardener and professional seed and plant nursery owner. My passion is sharing knowledge and helping others expand their gardening skills and grow food.
I'm excited to introduce you to an unusual and fascinating plant from India — the Indian Snake Cucumber. This rare variety is an exceptional cucumber substitute and thrives in the heat, making it a perfect addition to your summer garden.
Check out my YouTube video guide all about Indian Snake Cucumbers: Coming soon
What is the Indian Snake Cucumber?
Despite its name, the Indian Snake Cucumber isn't a true cucumber. Instead, it's a type of melon from the Cucumis melo group, related closely to Armenian cucumbers. These plants can grow impressively long cucumbers — up to three feet! The cucumbers have a light green, slightly ridged, fuzzy skin. Not only do they grow much longer than standard cucumbers, but they're less bitter and exhibit greater disease and pest resistance compared to other varieties.
Why I Embraced the Indian Snake Cucumber
Living in the hot climate of Florida, I was drawn to the Indian Snake Cucumber for its ability to withstand extreme heat while producing delightful fruits. These cucumbers are versatile, perfect for fresh eating, pickles, or salads. This variety was much easier to grow than regular cucumbers because of its high disease and pest resistances. I found the texture and flavor to be a great substitute for cucumbers. So if you're struggling to grow traditional cucumbers, try growing Indian Snake cucumbers instead.
Growing Indian Snake Cucumbers From Seed
Wait until all danger of frost has passed to direct sow seeds outside, or start them indoors about 4-6 weeks prior to your last spring frost date. If sowing indoors, plant 2-3 seeds per 4 inch sized pot or colo cup with a few holes cut at the bottom for drainage. Fill your pot or container with sterile seed starting mix to improve germination.
Once the seedlings develop their second set of leaves, I fertilize every 7-10 days using organic granular fertilizer to encourage rapid growth.
I also place the seedlings under a grow light which greatly improves growth rates and vigor. I really like Mars Hydro grow lights that I get from Amazon HERE.
Indian snake cucumbers are a vining plant, so it's beneficial to provide a trellis for support. This prevents the fruits from curving and ensures they grow straight. It also picks the fruit and plants off the ground where pests and diseases can infect it.
Sun, Soil, and Fertilization
The ideal spot to grow Indian snake cucumbers is one in full sun that gets 8 hours or more per day. It also grows best in well-draining soil rich in organic matter. The vines grow very fast and will start producing in about 2.5 months from seed or transplanting into the garden. I fertilize each plant with 1/4 cup of an organic granular fertilizer, every week to promote healthy growth and increase production.
I like to use Espoma Garden-Tone which is an organic granular fertilizer. You can find it on Amazon HERE.
Overcoming Pests and Diseases
Cucumbers and melons are prone to pests and diseases, and Indian Snake Cucumbers are no exception. Common issues include powdery mildew and anthracnose.
Keep foliage dry, by growing the plants vertically, pruning out diseased leaves, and spraying with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water.
For pest control, you'll likely encounter chewing insects like worms and aphids. If worm damage is visible, spray with BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) spray. I get my BT spray from Amazon HERE.
If plants are being infested by aphids, I just spray them off the plants with a blast from my water hose. But if the infestation is severe, then I spray with spinosad which kills soft bodied insects on contact. I get spinosad spray from Amazon HERE.
Harvest and Taste Testing Indian Snake Cucumbers
Indian Snake cucumbers are ready for harvest when they reach 12-18 inches long or 2 inches wide for optimal flavor. Regular harvesting encourages continued fruit production, so check your vines frequently.
When you cut into a ripe Indian Snake Cucumber, you'll notice it's slightly hollow with seeds that resemble those of regular cucumbers. Flavor-wise, it's mild, crisp, and just faintly sweet—a deliciously refreshing taste. If blindfolded, you'd likely mistake it for a traditional cucumber.
Final Thoughts
I'm thrilled to have discovered this robust and tasty addition to my summer garden. I do have seeds on my website if you want to try growing this unique cucumber subsitute. You can find them HERE. I'm passionate about exploring and sharing lesser-known crops, and I hope this inspires you to take a chance and grow something new.
Thanks for reading, and happy gardening!