Cucumbers - smooth & prickly skins

[Primrose]

Can somebody please explain to me why some cucumbers have prickly skins and some are smooth? Is it a characteristic of specific varieties or of F1 hybrids? Last year year I grew three plants; but two of them were unknown varities purchased from a garden centre to replace two home-germinated ones I lost. Some had smooth skins and others had prickly skins which weren't so nice and I want to try and avoid this happening again.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Primrose, a lot of the older varieties have prickly skins, i think over the years through selective breeding they have bred out the pricklyness.
Although i think some of the old prickly ones are a lot nicer.

[alan refail]

Same with people OH

Alan

[seedling]

i thought that indoor growing varieties had smooth skins and the outdoor growing varieties had knobbly/prickly skins - perhaps not?
Seedling

[oldherbaceous]

Some of the modern outdoor ones are quite smooth now Seedling.

[Primrose]

Is there any way you can tell what you're going to get? The seed providers don't ofteninclude this sort of information on the packet.

[oldherbaceous]

Most of my seed catalogues tell you whether they are spineless or have few spines, i think most of the F1's are spineless though Primrose.

[Tigger]

I hate to admit it, but he's right. Just check the rules. Most of the indoor ones are smooth.......

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Tigger, i don't mind if you don't like me.

[dewwex]

And lets not forget that F1 hybrids or indoor types should not be grown with open pollinated outdoor types.
The F1 /indoor do not want to be fertlised wheras the outdoor types should be let fertilise.
If F1/indoor types get fetilised their fruits will become bitter!

I am a big fan of 'F1 petita' or 'F1 passandra'. loads of 8" cucumbers. A normal household (4 people)would only need one of these plants. 8" is ideal amount for the kitchen table anyhow. I got mine from Kings seeds. other companys will have similar types.