King Cucumber

Seed Packet: Sumter

Since when are cucumbers worth writing home about? Simple answer: When you stumble over and discover a cucumber variety that is out of this world special. It's when you make a discovery like this, the process of kicking yourself commences. Kicking yourself as in: Why didn't I plant this years ago?

I will admit that I had the chance. This special variety of cucumber arrived a decade ago as a "toss away." It's one of those special rewards that gardeners receive from seed houses when an order for $20 worth of seed product is placed. In this case, the Sumter Cucumber seeds arrived as a "freebie" from an outfit called Seeds of Change. This is during a time in recent history when Seeds of Change was in business. Sadly, it isn't any longer.

The name still exists. It was purchased by another seed outfit after the Seeds of Change business folded. The name and brand is now held by an outfit called Green Garden Products located in Norton, Massachusetts. It's the same outfit that owns Ferry Morse Home Gardening, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed and others. It's also the same firm responsible for stocking some stores with 25-cent seed packets, a bargain buy that I honestly loved.

Sprouting Sumter Seeds

This packet of Sumter Cucumber seeds had done nothing but gather dust in a garage for ten years. When I discovered some extra room in last year's garden that would be perfect for seed planting efforts, my first thought was why not? I wasn't expecting much. Packets containing seeds that are ten years old can often be disappointing. Some seeds absolutely refuse to sprout after gathering dust for that long a time.

Imagine my surprise then when not only every seed sprouted, but these Sumter cucumber vines began to cover every square inch of space that I set aside for it. Then it began to grow into other areas. The vines managed to grow over and conquer nearby bush bean plants. They also grew right into and over large basil plants. The Sumter vines even latched onto six-foot tall tomato plants and grew right up and over them like nobody's business. The only thing that slowed the Sumter down was the onset of winter.

By this time I had discovered that the Sumter was actually a variety of pickling cucumber. Let me rephrase that statement: The Sumter was a very, very, very, very productive form of pickling cucumber. A free seed packet that contained 25-seeds left me with more cucumbers that I knew what to do with. So, I started to surprise my neighbors with bags of them. SURPRISE!

Late Season Cucumber Patch

The only thing that I failed to do was to find someone, ANYONE, in the local area that liked to create and can pickled cucumbers as a home canning project. By the time I really needed to discover a group like this, it was already too late. I won't make that mistake this year. If you are reading this and you want cucumbers in late July for a home-canning project, drop me a note. They're free. Pick all you want. Then, do me a favor and pick even more.

The Sumter also did double-duty as fresh cucumber slices and chunks in multiple summer salads. Every night, it seemed, featured large bowls of heirloom tomatoes, sliced Sumter cucumbers and loads of basil to give it that spicy kick. The Sumter was, in a word, outstanding. No hint of bitterness. Easy to peel. Easy to chop. Easy to prepare. I had no complaints. I still don't.

Sumter Cucumber Bounty

I simply could not let this variety get away from me. So, like any gardener who literally stumbles over something really good, I allowed a few of these cucumbers to get fat and yellow with seeds. At the end of the season I sliced each one open and saved seed through a simple fermentation process. The end result was enough saved seed for ten gardens. I'm still giving out seeds to anyone who wants them.

The saved seeds that I planted earlier this spring, meanwhile, are putting on the same type of show that the ten-year old packet of Sumter seeds did last year. They all sprouted. Some were planted earlier than others, but they are all doing well. Which means one big load of cucumbers later this summer.