Ilas

Family: Cucurbitaceae Vegetable

Cool, crisp, and vividly refreshing—Ilas Beit Alpha Cucumber delivers a clean snap with a bright, subtly sweet flavor that lingers on the palate.

At maturity, the fruit forms an elegant, medium-long shape with a tender skin and a juicy, well-balanced bite that shines in fresh salads and quick pickling. Grow Ilas for dependable, garden-to-table crunch—ideal when you want cucumbers that stay crisp and flavorful from harvest to jar.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 55 DaysHabit: Vine

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Apr 11th
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 25th
Harvest Begins	Jun 19th
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	55
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Vine
Support Needed	Trellis
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	65
Min Night Temp (°F)	55
Harden Off (days)	12

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Ilas is a Beit Alpha-type cucumber built for that immediate, clean crunch—tender skin, juicy bite, and flavor that doesn’t get lost when temperatures rise. Slice it thin for salads or turn it straight into quick pickles; it stays snappy instead of collapsing into watery mush.

Best Uses

cold cucumber salad—thin slices that hold crunch under vinaigrette
quick pickles where the texture stays snappy
briny cucumber garnish for sandwiches and wraps
lightly dressed crudités with yogurt or sour cream

Flavor Profile

clean, watery refresh with a crisp snap bright acidity when pickled subtly sweet cucumber flesh tender, not-too-thick skin bite

Kitchen Pairings

lemon garlic black pepper white vinegar feta cheese Greek yogurt

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease is most likely to hit Cucumis sativus (cucumber), and how do I manage it at home?

Cucumber beetles and powdery mildew are common issues for Cucumis sativus. Use yellow sticky traps plus row cover after sowing to reduce beetle feeding, then remove the cover once flowering begins; for powdery mildew, water at the base (not the leaves) and spray a labeled potassium bicarbonate or sulfur product as soon as white patches appear and repeat per label instructions.

How often should I water Cucumis sativus during the main growing phase to prevent problems?

During active fruiting (roughly mid-season through harvest), keep soil consistently evenly moist—typically about 1–2 inches of water per week, adjusted for heat and mulch. Water deeply 1–2 times per week rather than daily sprinkles, and avoid wetting foliage because cucumber roots need moisture stability while the leaves stay dry to reduce mildew.

How can I tell when my Cucumis sativus is ready to harvest?

Harvest when fruits reach the mature size for your plants (often within about 55 days from sowing) and before they become oversized or seedy. Look for firm cucumbers with a fresh, bright green color, and check daily once plants start producing—overgrown fruits slow new flowering and can turn bitter.