If you have ever wanted to make your own pickles at home, this is where you start. Cetriolino Piccolo Verde di Parigi is a classic French gherkin variety that produces an abundance of small, crisp fruits perfect for traditional pickling. Pick them at 6 to 10 cm for the best texture and flavour, and you will have jars of homemade cornichons that taste nothing like shop bought ones.
The plants are vigorous and highly productive, delivering a steady supply of uniform little gherkins throughout the summer. The light green skin is smooth with very few spines, and the flesh stays firm and crunchy even after pickling. An early variety that starts producing around 50 to 70 days after sowing, giving Irish gardeners a good harvest window even in a shorter summer.
ðą Sowing: April indoors, late May to June outdoors
âïļ Light: Full sun, warm sheltered position
ðĄïļ Germination: 7 to 14 days
ð Growth: Vigorous vines with dense foliage
ðŠī Spacing: 40 to 50 cm between plants, 120 to 150 cm between rows
âģ Harvest: From 50 to 70 days, pick fruits at 6 to 10 cm
ðŋ Growing tips for Ireland Gherkins need warmth, so start indoors in April. Sow one or two seeds per small pot, about 1 cm deep, and keep warm on a windowsill or in a propagator. Do not transplant outdoors until after the last frost, late May at the earliest in most of Ireland.
Choose the warmest, most sheltered spot you have. A south facing wall, a polytunnel, or a large container on a sunny patio all work well. Water consistently at the base to prevent bitterness, and avoid wetting the leaves as this encourages mildew. The single most important tip: pick the gherkins frequently, every two to three days when they are producing. The more you pick, the more they grow. Leave them on the vine too long and they swell into seedy, bitter cucumbers instead of crisp little cornichons.
Mulch around the base to retain moisture and keep fruits clean. If growing in the open, train the vines slightly off the ground on a short support or netting to improve airflow and reduce disease.
