Your photos look very similar to what I have always known as "Ridge Cucumbers" - suited to outdoor growing. I've grown "Bedfordshire Prize" for many years and the fruit has a noticeably prickly skin and the usual small cuke flowers. The fruits can be 6-8" in length and tend to be quite fat. They can become a bit distorted in shape - usually later in the picking season especially if too many fruits are being produced. They are "spreaders" rather than upright. Good flavour.
Your photos look very similar to what I have always known as "Ridge Cucumbers" - suited to outdoor growing. I've grown "Bedfordshire Prize" for many years and the fruit has a noticeably prickly skin and the usual small cuke flowers. The fruits can be 6-8" in length and tend to be quite fat. They can become a bit distorted in shape - usually later in the picking season especially if too many fruits are being produced. They are "spreaders" rather than upright. Good flavour.
Wow thank you philippa, I only have the one fruit growing out of many flowers. At what point should I havest it? I will go measure its size shortly, it could well have reached 6" already.
Although the shape is not your typical cucumber and I've never seen these types of prickles on a cucumber. Wondering if I should harvest soon as the weather is becoming cooler just now...
If it was me, I'd pick that one now. I've also noticed this year that mine have contained many more seeds than would be expected. I put it down to the weather this summer ( always a good excuse ) which bumped up the growth faster than normal. Someone else may have another reason to offer tho. The skin may well be quite tough at this point. I never peel any cukes but that's just a personal choice. The specific "outdoor" ones will always have slightly thicker skins anyway to withstand the weather. I just use a soft scrubbing brush to get rid of the prickles. Hope you manage to get something decent out of yours anyway
Remember to taste it before you add to salads etc. If it is a cross, there's a possibility it is bitter and contains cucurbitacin, so always taste before use.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
yep definitely a cucumber, not sure if the seeds are worth trying next year, I'd probably get a lot of prickly cucumbers. Don't think I will bother eating this one.
Aye - that looks similar to my last couple of Ridge but this is the first year I've noticed it. You can actually flip the excess seeds out with a sharp knife but it is almost as boring as watching paint dry I'd recommend a couple of Giant African Land Snails ( see the Snail Lovers thread ) - they enjoy them Better luck next year anyway
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Thanks so much for your input and sharing.
The skin may well be quite tough at this point. I never peel any cukes but that's just a personal choice. The specific "outdoor" ones will always have slightly thicker skins anyway to withstand the weather. I just use a soft scrubbing brush to get rid of the prickles.
Hope you manage to get something decent out of yours anyway
I sure will smell and then taste Bob after viewing inside
I'd recommend a couple of Giant African Land Snails ( see the Snail Lovers thread ) - they enjoy them
Better luck next year anyway
Happy to share any