Shintokiwa Cucumber
Cucumis sativus 'Shintokiwa'
- Vegetable
- Cucumber
- Japanese
- Bitter-free
A vigorous Japanese cucumber with long, slender, thin-skinned fruit that stays sweet, crisp, and bitter-free even when large.
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‘Shintokiwa’ is a vigorous Japanese cucumber that produces long, slender, thin-skinned fruit. It is prized for staying sweet, crisp, and entirely bitter-free even when the cucumbers grow large.
Sweet and crisp
The thin skin means there’s no need to peel, and the flavor stays mild and sweet across a wide range of sizes — a forgiving cucumber for the home garden.
Care tips
Grow it on a trellis to keep the long fruit straight and clean. For the most tender texture, pick around 8 inches, but don’t worry if a few get away from you — they hold their sweetness.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- South Asia (the species); this variety was bred in Japan
- Plant type
- Vegetable
- Mature size
- Best picked at 8 in. or smaller, though it stays sweet when larger.
- Bloom
- Long, slender, thin-skinned fruit.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Soil
- Trellising is recommended to produce long, straight fruit.
- Pruning
- Maintenance: train the vine up a trellis and pinch off the lowest side shoots and leaves for airflow, keeping the long fruit straight and clean.