Poona Kheera cucumbers, botanically classified as Cucumis sativus, are a rare heirloom variety belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The word Kheera translates from Hindi to mean “cucumber,” and Poona is the city from which the variety originated in India.

These cucumbers are short and thick fruits, averaging 10 to 12 centimeters in length and 5 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have an oblong, cylindrical shape with rounded ends. The skin transitions through many colours as it ripens, beginning white, smooth, and thin when young, turning golden-yellow, and finally maturing into a brown, cracked, and russeted surface. Underneath the skin, the flesh ranges from pale green to white, depending on maturity it is crisp and firm

Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil. and full sun

Sowing indoors: March or direct sowing: April, after all frosts. Germination: 7 to 14 days after sowing (15 – 35 ºC)

Spacing: 60cm/100cm/2cm deep