There can be many different Japanese Climbing Cucumbers. you would need to give the name. However, I grow the most popular Japanese Climbing Cucumber according to Kitazawa Seeds and they grow great. Very tender. If you want them to grow straight then you will want them to hang down from above ground. If they grow on the ground they will be curved.

Tsuyataro Japanese Climbing Cucumber. Best cucs I ever grew. super tender. I do not remove the skin. I use a simple circle of fencing. I stand it up and allow 2 to grow up the fence. Works great. The fence is only 4 ft tall but 6 ft might be better. They produce all summer for me. Although they are run down toward the end.

One strong warning. There were very few seeds in each package. I think it was about 7 seeds per package. So kind of expensive. You can phone them and ask how many seeds they ship in a package. At that time there was some confusion about the number of seeds in each package.

My guess is that these same seeds are sold by other companies at a lower price but probably sold by a generic name like Japanese Climbing Cucumber or something similar.

To my taste buds I have never found any bitterness. I really like these. I eat most of them whole out in the garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cuc I grow

Evergreen Seeds lists 8 varieties of Japanese cucumbers.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Evergreen Seeds

Nice seed company. great variety at good prices. I will have to order some for next year.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I got these seeds out of the SSE catolog. I dont know which strain it is.

I also grew the Tsuyataro cucs from Kitizawa Seeds. I have to say there was definately more than seven seeds in the package. Anyway, they were great cucumbers, tender and delicious and very prolific. I planted eight seeds out of the same package this year and everyone of them has sprouted. Looking forward to many many cucs this year.

John

I am finding white caterpillars eating into the cucumbers. What can I do to stop them?