Help with cucumbers!

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Shellie, May 5, 2009.

  1. Shellie

    Shellie Apprentice Gardener

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    I am growing cucumbers for the first time this year and have 5 plants growing well in large pots in the conservatory. I am a bit muddled tho as to what to do about the male flowers when they appear later on in the year...do I remove them or not?? Would appreciate some advice. Thanks.:cnfs:
     
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    For Greenhouse / Indoor variety cucumbers Male flowers should be removed otherwise they make the fruit bitter. New variety F1 Indoor cucumbers have been bred to only produce female flowers, although they may produce one or two male flowers. So they are usually not a problem.

    Outdoor cucumbers (often referred to as Ridge cucumbers), OTOH, do need to be fertilised so the male flowers need to be left on (and its possible you are growing one of those varieties indoors!!
     
  3. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    This depends on what variety of cucumber shellie, tell us what they are. Also are you keeping them in your conservatory or outside?

    If you have bought the more expensive (F1 seeds usually labelled as 'all female') then there is no work to do as there will be no male flowers.
     
  4. Shellie

    Shellie Apprentice Gardener

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    The cucumbers are 'Marketmore'.Not sure if they are indoor or outdoor variety! Was planning to keep them in conservatory but maybe I shouldnt!?? What do you think?
     
  5. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    They are an outdoor ridge type Shellie, so they will need pollinating. If they are grown outside then insects should do the pollination for you. If you keep them indoors you will have to do it for them!
     
  6. Blackthorn

    Blackthorn Gardener

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    Hi Shellie, Marketmore is an outdoor variety, and should be grown outside in a sheltered spot. I would think that the conservatory will be too hot for them.
    They will produce male flowers but as Kristen says, they are needed on this variety.
     
  7. Blackthorn

    Blackthorn Gardener

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  8. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Its easy to do though, when the female flowers appear you remove a suitable male and rub the two together - not too vigourously. Its obvious which is which, the females have a tiny cucumber behind the flower, the male flower doesn't. I hope that makes sense, when you see them it will be obvious.
     
  9. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    At least we agreed Blackthorn !
     
  10. Shellie

    Shellie Apprentice Gardener

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    Thanks for your help....will prob put outside when a bit warmer and let insects do the work!!!
     
  11. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    I would shellie, Marketmore prefer being outside.
     
  12. Shellie

    Shellie Apprentice Gardener

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    Do I need to feed them? And if so is tomato feed ok for cucumbers too? Also do I need to stake them as tomatoes?
     
  13. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Yes start feeding them (with the same stuff as used for tomatoes) when the first fruits start to form. With ridge cucumbers you can let them sprawl on the ground, but if you want to keep the fruits a bit cleaner and off the ground (I would!) then you can train them up stakes. :gnthb:
     
  14. Shellie

    Shellie Apprentice Gardener

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    Great! Thanks for all your help! Looking forward to summer now!
     
  15. Greenjeans

    Greenjeans Gardener

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    Hello everyone. I've been reading posts most of the spring and have really enjoyed to see how much our gardening year is the same at this point in time. I know as the summer moves along it's much hotter here than over to your house but I'm really pleased with the help you've offered me to this point.

    I grow in a greenhouse and have for years, would you believe I had no idea there were cucs that were special for growing inside? (see the egg on my face?) :yho: I just read this thread and headed to my seed catalogues.......and there they were as big as life and mega expensive (which is probably what kept me from reading the info on them....I'm cheap!).

    I hope tomorrow I can pick some up at the nursery but if not then next year I'll know what I want to do and I'm sure looking forward to it.

    All the way around you have helped me with the greenhouse growing this spring. It's been a good time following the threads on this site.
     
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