Early Fortune Cucumber: Days to Maturity & Growing Tips

Key facts

Days to maturity

50–60 days

Listed for

United States

Overview

Early Fortune is an heirloom slicing cucumber that has been around since about 1910, when a Michigan grower picked it out of the older Davis Perfect and it went on to become one of the most planted cucumbers in the United States. The fruit is a white-spined slicer running 7 to 8 inches long and about 2 inches wide, with smooth dark skin and crisp, mild flesh. What sets it apart is speed: vines start bearing well ahead of most other open-pollinated slicers, which makes it a good spring crop where summer heat and disease arrive early, and a candidate for a second, fall sowing. It is monoecious, carrying separate male and female flowers that need insects to move pollen, so plant a block of several hills rather than a lone plant. Direct sow after the soil has warmed. A dependable choice for anyone who wants a traditional slicer and prefers to save seed rather than buy hybrids.

Early Fortune traits

• Heirloom slicing type from around 1910
• White-spined fruit 7 to 8 inches long
• Crisp, mild white flesh with smooth dark green skin
• Bears earlier than most open-pollinated slicers
• Monoecious; needs insect pollination, so plant in blocks
• Suits spring and fall sowings in hot regions
• Open-pollinated, seed can be saved

Good for

• Fresh slicing
• Salads
• Seed saving

Compare with other cucumber varieties

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Early Fortune FAQ

Sowing, care and common problems

Sowing times, care and common problems are the same for every cucumber variety, so they are covered once in the growing guide.

• Cucumber growing guide
• How to Plant Cucumbers: Spacing, Soil and Putting Up Supports
• Pruning Cucumbers: Removing the Lowest Side Shoots and Topping the Vine
• How Often to Water Cucumbers and When to Feed Them
• Cucumber Growing Calendar: What to Do Through the Season
• Cucumber Diseases and Pests: Keeping Mildew Out of the Crop
• When to Pick Cucumbers and Why They Come Out Curved
• All 241 cucumber varieties

Source

Source: Cornell University (CALS Garden-Based Learning)

The text on this page is our own summary written from the published variety record, not a copy of it.

Written byYasuGrowing vegetables and fruit in Chiba, Japan, and building Gadenin. Corrections are welcome. 15 years of growing.