Crop type: Cucumbers
Cucumis sativus ‘Carmen’
Common name: Cucumber ‘Carmen’
Crop slug: cucumbers
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Carmen’ is a high-yielding climbing cucumber for protected cultivation. It produces unusually long, straight fruits, reaching about 40cm, with a mild flavour and a firm crunch. The crop develops from late summer into autumn and is best grown under glass, where its warmth requirements and long vertical growth can be accommodated.
Good disease resistance strengthens its value for greenhouse growers. The RHS profile displays the Award of Garden Merit, reflecting the cultivar’s combination of yield, fruit quality and garden performance.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 2.5–4 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
Train the narrow, vigorous vine vertically to make use of greenhouse height. Install a support capable of carrying a mature stem and multiple large fruits.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
Use a fertile greenhouse border or a large pot of good-quality compost. Drainage must remain free while the root zone is kept evenly moist; large fluctuations in water supply can interrupt growth and fruit development.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H1c — suitable outside only in summer where temperatures remain around 5–10°C or warmer
Protected cultivation is the reliable option. Give the plant full light and shelter, and maintain the warm conditions required by a tender cucumber throughout its late-summer-to-autumn cropping season.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Yellow flowers appear among green foliage in summer, followed by long green fruits. Green leaves and cucumbers continue into autumn under glass. The exceptionally straight, approximately 40cm fruit is the clearest visual feature distinguishing ‘Carmen’ from shorter slicing and mini cultivars.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Cucumis is a genus of tendril-bearing twining plants that includes cucumbers, melons and gherkins. Species occur naturally across parts of Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Safety
Bitter cucumber fruit can be toxic to pets if eaten. Do not offer bitter fruit to animals, and discard any fruit with an abnormal bitter taste.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Transfer young plants into large pots of good-quality compost or a prepared greenhouse border. Provide wires or sturdy canes immediately and guide the climbing stems upwards. Water little and often so the growing medium remains evenly moist rather than alternating between saturation and drought.
Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every 10–14 days during active growth. Full sun, consistent moisture and protection under glass support the high yield and help the long fruits develop straight.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Suggested locations
- Conservatory and greenhouse
- Protected edible garden
- Large greenhouse container
Pruning
Pinch out the main growing point when it reaches the greenhouse roof. Shorten each fruiting side-shoot two leaves beyond its female flower, identifiable by the tiny fruit behind it. Pinch flowerless side-shoots when they reach 60cm long so the plant directs energy towards its crop.
Pests
May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly. Inspect young growth and leaf undersides regularly in the protected environment.
Diseases
May be susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew despite the cultivar’s general good disease resistance. Maintain hygiene, spacing and appropriate greenhouse humidity, and remove plants showing serious virus symptoms.