Cucumber 'Early Cluster'

I have a short season garden in the mountains. I do not have good soil--I have heavy clay and rocks, that I do my best to modify, but the...Read More amendments tend to wash downhill quickly. Early cluster is one of the few cukes I have succeeded with.It grew tall, lush, and very fast on trellises. And the cukes were great eating.

The 'Early Cluster' may be the oldest cucumber still in cultivation. It was introduced by 1778, and American garden writer Thomas Fessend...Read Moreen recommended it in 1834. In 1886, Peter Henderson reported that it was “a much esteemed early variety, growing in clusters and extremely productive”. Even as late as 1943, noted plantsman Liberty Hyde Bailey recommended it.
The 'Early Cluster' produces blocky cucumbers that will grow five or six inches long. Just as its name indicates, these fruit, which are light green and have many warts, appear in clusters. Picked small, they are used for pickles. They can also be left to grow a little larger for slicing cukes. To be fair, the 'Early Cluster' is not the easiest cucumber to grow. The vines appreciate pampering. Without rich soil and ample water, they languish. But then, sometimes you have to make allowances for the quirks and crotchets of 200+ year-olds.