Gherkins

[Elaine]

Hi! Advice needed please. I'm growing gherkins for the first time and wondered about supports. Do they grow like cucumbers and need a frame to climb up? The variety is Cornichon de Paris and it doesn't mention anything relevant on the seed packet. I will be growing them outside, in an old cold frame, which is in full sun for most of the day. Thanks in advance. cheers.

[Johnboy]

Hi Elaine,
Which seed company supplied the Cornichon de Paris seed?
I simply adore Cornichons in sweet vinegar. At present I buy them in from Sainsbury's but would very much like to grow them myself.
Tigger very kindly gave me a packet on Gherkins a couple of years ago and although they were super they didn't taste quite the same as do Cornichons even though I used vinegar sweetened to a recipe.
I wonder if these Cornichons should be special gherkins for the job.
JB.

[alan refail]

Morning Johnboy

Try this link

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/102

[Elaine]

Hi JB. The Cornichon de Paris are Mr Fothergill's and I bought them from a garden center, though I don't remember which. Any advice as to growing them please?

[Elaine]

PS. They were £1 for 20 seeds.

[FelixLeiter]

Gherkins can grow with our without support. It depends whether you want to keep them clean. They're a bit more rampant and branch more than other cucumbers, so even if you do give them some string or netting to climb up, they tend to find their way across the ground when your back's turned. You might appreciate them being at waste height or above for picking, though, and so that you can see the fruits better, which tend to be hidden under the foliage. You need to pick gherkins on a daily basis once they get going, if you want quality fruits and lots of them.

There are also slugs to consider. Although most of the slugs in my garden are acrobatic, keeping the vines off the ground at least gives them less of an opportunity to be ravaged.

[Geoff]

I'm growing Parisian Pickling from Lidl, I wonder if they are the same.

[Johnboy]

Hi Elaine,
I always sow seed around now and they will be ready to plant out in about a month when the temperatures will be just right.
As Felix has said they are quite rampant given the opportunity and can be grown up an inclined trellis so that they can scramble rather than climb. The are very prolific producers and must be picked young for pickling before they get a hard skin. Any that have gone beyond that point should be either eaten in a salad or discarded.
If the plants become too rampant then you can simply cut them back a bit.
JB.

[Elaine]

Thanks everyone. My gherkin seedlings are doing nicely. I intend planting them out early June, after they have been hardened off. I had the idea of making a trellis type frame with canes for them, so you have just made up my mind for me JB. I have eight plants but will only use three..Ive found "homes" for the others. I certainly won't make the same mistake as I did with courgettes...the first time I grew them, I planted out six plants! The neighbours eventually ran away when they saw me coming home with yet more courgettes!!! I only plant two these days, which is ample for our needs and some to give away. Cheers.