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Cucumber Pollination
KeenOnGreen
Posts: 1,831
in Fruit & veg
we have 3 cucumber Tasty King, one in the greenhouse and two outside. I assumed we would just wait until ready to crop but have read that we need to pay attention to male/female flowers/plants, as it will affect taste. Can someone help? Also, can I trim off excess shoots as the one in the greenhouse is turning onto a Triffid!
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Bumping up for someone who grows indoor cukes
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi KeenOnGreen, I am no expert as only on my second year growing cucumber and there is a lot of conflicting information from what seem to be reliable sources. I leave mine alone (Marketmore76) and last year they were fine. The cold weather is holding them back this year.
Did you sow seeds? If so check the packet and unless it tells you to remove flowers I would leave well alone. As for the shoots, be careful as the fruit grows in the leaf axil (where the leaf joins a stem) more effective I find to pinch out the growing tip
Search this forum as well, there are lots of threads on cucumbers with lots of good ides, observations and experience.
The cold weather is indeed holding back the ones in the outdoor bed, but the one in the greenhouse is threatening to throw it's tentacles around me every time I go there. It looks like a gunnera, didn't know cucumbers could have such big leaves. I prefer our courgettes, cropping already and none of that faffing around removing flowers of a particular sex, although we occasionally cook the male flowers in some olive oil. Yum!
I think it depends on the variety. According to the Unwins website you should leave the male flowers on for this variety as the female flowers need pollination. Some varieties you need to remove the male flowers or the cucumbers taste bitter.
I only grow all female varieties in my greenhouse but have Jogger outside this year and that also says to leave the male flowers on.
I also just took off the growing tip too when it was approx 5 - 6 foot high, I have removed some of the male flowers - also growing Jogger, but find the cucumbers are quite bitter - some prefer them soaked in vinegar - too sharp for me though. I have had approx. 2 cucumbers from each plant with two or three more maturing on each plant - 3 plants in total.
I decided to go with Marketmore again as I had seeds left (always a problem) and they made good eating and nice soup. They are thick skinned (SiL has Gibraltese heritage and his Mum says they remind her of home) but lovely when peeled, juicy and with a flavour not just watery.
I won't grow Jogger again - relatively easy to grow once I got the hang of it, but the reward is a fairly bitter cucumber - not so popular with the natives - I want a full size, tasty cuc next time. Still what one person says is bitter is tasty for others. especially if drowned in vinegar! Thanks for the recommendation herbaceous.