How Long Do Cucumber Plants Last? (Greenhouse Type)

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by intel, Mar 11, 2016.

  1. intel

    intel Gardener

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    Last year my crop of cucumbers was poor and the plants didn't last long anyway
    (it was all over in less then 3 weeks from the first fruit).....I was reading that most Cucumber plants will only last till they produce their last flower and then the leaves will start to turn yellow and wilt (which is exactly what happened last year)and this is the time to pull out the whole plant as soon as possible after the last fruit.

    I wondered if anyone had tried sowing their cucumber seeds in batches maybe 3 weeks apart?
    this hopefully will gave a better supply over the summer months....mine would be the Greenhouse type of Cucumber.
     
  2. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    It should be much longer than that.

    Mine last about 3 months from first to last pickings starting in July. I was also thinking of trying a second batch this year to try and extend the season. I usually sow all mine at once towards the end of April, so I will sow fewer to begin with and a second batch in late May as well.
     
  3. silu

    silu gardening easy...hmmm

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    I'd agree JWK, not so good last year maybe due to fairly grim summer but I've had greenhouse Cucumbers ready for picking in usually late June and lasting into early October. Like your idea of a 2nd sowing. Think I'll have a crack at that as what often happens is that the Tomatoes are still full steam ahead and Cucumbers calming down!
     
  4. intel

    intel Gardener

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    I think it was the variety I had chosen last year, cant remember the name but they were a small dwarf type....no more then about 5 inches long, but in 2014 I grew a better crop
    (F1 variety) but these only lasted about 6 weeks maybe I am under feeding them?
     
  5. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    At what date was it "all over"?
     
  6. NigelJ

    NigelJ Total Gardener

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    Two cucumber plants keep me in cucumbers, plus some to give away, for the whole summer. The older leaves yellow and dry off and red spider mite can be a problem. Sometime I get lull of a week or two on one or the other, this seems to be related to the number of developing cucumbers the plant can support. When I harvest them they start back into producing female flowers.
     
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    • intel

      intel Gardener

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      Can't give you an extract date but I would say about the middle of July, seeds were probably sown around early April time.

      This year I am going to try Unwins Tasty King F1 Hybrid and see if I get better luck with these?
      was also looking at videos on Youtube and found one called how to prune your Cucumber plant, I never know that you should be removing the growth point on each node........how do I encourage the plant to keep flowering and therefore extend the life of the plant?

       
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      I prune mine otherwise there is a myriad of side shoots that are not very productive, didn't watch that video but generally wait till they get to the top of the support and nip out the growing tip so as to get two leaders and train them separately either side ways or downwards - depends on the space you have in the greenhouse.

      The most important thing is to keep picking, if you let any cucumbers get too big the plant thinks it has done it's job of producing seeds and gives up on further flowers.

      To begin with it's a good idea to nip out the first flush of flowers otherwise cucumbers tend to 'stall' - and if you have 4 plants like I do and get tons of fruit then I sometimes thin out the embryo fruit.
       
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