Cold Toms

Kristen,

Why wouldn't you pinch the male cucumbers flowers off if outside? Does the bitter taste when in a greenhouse come from inbreeding, which is less likely to happen when outside?

 

They must be different in some way, but I don't know why.

Outdoor, "Ridge", cucumbers need to be fertilised - otherwise they don't produce a Cucumber :thumb:

and, conversely, if Indoor varieties are fertilized they taste bitter (hence modern F1 Indoor cucumbers have been bred to only produce female flowers, which solves that problem).

(If you grow an outdoor Ridge cucumber indoors it still needs fertilising (although I don't recommend growing outdoor types indoors because obviously they have been bred / selected for growing outside! and if you are growing Cucumbers indoors you might as well choose a variety bred for that task)

Pah! I just did a bit of reading. They outdoor ones were called "Ridge" because they used to be grown on earthed-up ridges - to keep the stems dry I assume. They were covered in "warts", and were short and dumpy. I remember growing them as a lad, and they were nothing like as hansom as Indoor cucumbers (which are just like the ones you get from the Supermarket - smooth, sleek, and much longer than the outdoor ones).

It seems all that has changed - new Outdoor varieties can be grown "on the flat", they climb (although are normally left to Sprawl instead), AND *Shock* there are F1 All-female flowering varieties that do not need fertilisation!

Obviously the ones that need fertilising are full of pips/seed ... which you don't get in an indoor cucumber, which to my mind improves the appeal.

And then there are the Japanese / Burpless varieties which are outdoor, but grow well in unheated greenhouses.

Indoor cucumbers will give you fruit from mid-May onwards (I've had 2 per plant already), outdoor ones from the End of July onwards.

Minefield!

 

Freddie
I like the idea of cut off plastic pots buried in the grow bags.
I shall remember that one next time I use grow bags
robert

 

There are commercial products available Robert (by way of ideas, rather than relieving you of your hard-earned cash!)

 

Hi Robert. The beauty of using cut-off pots is that you can leave the top 2 inches or so for watering, easy peasy :thumb: BTW, first plant 'stopped' today. Cheers...freddy.

 

"first plant 'stopped' today"

Blimey Freddy, your crop will be over by the end of June !!

 

Well done Freddy looking good your going to be the first in with your toms.:thumb: