Explorer Cucumber: Yield, Maturity and Characteristics
Explorer is a registered cucumber variety. The Philippine Seed Board approved it in 1980. JMC Farms bred it. It takes about 34 days from sowing to the first harvest, with 33.62 tonnes per hectare on average in the trials.
The average and top yields in tonnes per hectare come from the trials each variety went through to be registered with the NSIC, and from what the seed companies say about their own seed.
What farmers harvest today can be different. Newer harvest records, the season, the place, the soil, the water and the care all move these numbers over time.
So use them to compare varieties, not as a promise for your field. Ask your seller or your agriculturist how the variety did on farms near you in the last few seasons.
Compare it with the others in our cucumber variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: Land preparation for gourds and melons.
- Days to harvest: about 34 days from sowing to the first harvest.
- Yield: 33.62 tonnes per hectare on average in the trials.
- Recommended for: the areas in its trials, in both the wet and the dry season.
Key facts about Explorer cucumber
| Trait | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Registration | Philippine Seed Board |
| Year approved | 1980 |
| Breeder or owner | JMC Farms |
| Days to harvest | about 34 days |
| Average yield | 33.62 t/ha |
| Season | Both the wet and the dry season |
How long does it take, and how much does it yield?
Explorer cucumber takes about 34 days from sowing to the first harvest. That is 5.2 days faster than the average of the 5 cucumber varieties with a day count, 39.2 days. A shorter crop frees the field sooner and dodges more of the weather, while a longer one often fills more.
Its average yield of 33.62 t/ha beats the average of its group, 25. It sits in the top quarter of its group. Trial yields come from well managed plots, so your own will depend on water, fertilizer, pests and timing.
Once you know the day count, anee.io dates every task from each lot's own planting day, with the growth stages and weather beside it.
Is it resistant to pests and diseases?
| Pest or disease | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Downey mildew | Resistant | Held up well |
| Leaf spot | Resistant | Held up well |
| Anthracnose | Resistant | Held up well |
It showed no weak spot in the ratings on record. Still, a resistant variety can break down when a new strain or pest population comes, so keep scouting. Read up on anthracnose.
The pests and diseases that hit cucumber fields most often: cutworm, damping off, downy mildew of cucurbits, leafminer, melon fly. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.
Where and when to plant Explorer cucumber
It is recommended for both the wet and the dry season. Cucumber gives its first fruit fast, often in five to six weeks. Pick a variety bred to tolerate downy mildew if you plant near the rains. Before planting, get the field ready with our guide: Pagtatanim ng gulay.
Before you buy seed
- Buy sealed packs or tagged sacks from an accredited dealer, and check the packing date and germination rate.
- Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
- Try it on a small area first, beside the variety you usually plant, before you switch the whole farm.
- Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.
Start freeCucumber varieties like this one
These are the closest matches among the cucumber varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.
- Flurry: 38 to 40 days, 15.32 t/ha, 1987
- Gynomite: 38 to 40 days, 15.46 t/ha, 1987
- UPL Cu 6: about 40 days, 27 t/ha, 1984
- Panorama: 39 to 49 days, 33.62 t/ha, 1984
How long does it take to harvest?
What is its yield?
Where can I buy seed of Explorer?
See how Explorer will do on your farm
With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.
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