Grow This Disease-Resistant Cucumber That Thrives In Almost Every Climate

Flexing your green thumb is anything but a piece of cake. The image of walking to your backyard to harvest fresh tomatoes or clip herbs at will is idyllic, but reality is riddled with struggles with your soil quality, getting rid of garden pests, and battling diseases such as blight and fungi. While much of this is an unavoidable part of the journey of gardening, which is all about learning by trial, give yourself an edge by planting species with built-in heartiness. When it comes to cucumbers, there are dozens of species, but you might want to choose the disease-resistant suyo long variety.

Not a familiar name you see at every plant store but well worth tracking down, this variety has the advantage of warding off diseases better than most and thrives in most growing ranges. It's the pick of Philip Longo, owner and creator at Earth, Nails & Tails, which is dedicated to nurturing aspiring gardeners and backyard homesteaders. He knows his way around a garden bed and which crops are worth their weight, and he gravitates toward the suyo long as one of his favorites because it's burpless, meaning it's modified to contain less of a plant compound that can give cukes a bitter bite. Burpless varieties not only are milder to the palate, but also less appealing to disease-carrying pests. They're bred from varieties that are, by default, heartier to many common diseases — a win-win-win.

"Gardeners need to be aware of what diseases they see in their area and look for varieties that are resistant to this disease," explains Philip Longo. Regardless of location, he says a common cucumber culprit is the dreaded powdery mildew, which often occurs in summer temperatures and can be difficult to control once it sets in, even with hacks such as companion planting and fungicides. 

A bout of powdery mildew can cripple growth and damage the fruit, so planting varieties resistant to the common disease is a better approach than battling it all summer. Longo's fave, the suyo long, is known to be resistant to powdery mildew specifically, and produces long, crisp fruit with a refreshing snap and crunch. It's great for perfectly crunchy cucumber salads and snacking. Hailing from China originally, they can withstand high heat and can thrive in most pockets of the U.S. — likely another reason Longo is a fan. Of course, don't neglect proper care; Longo advises that they demand lots of water, saying to "water deeply every two to three days. This promotes far-stretching roots and stronger plants." Soon, you can savor the joys of a fresh, homegrown cucumber.