Mixed Cucumber Types

[Geoff]

I've often heard it said that letting Cucumbers be pollinated makes them bitter (doesn't bother me that much as I don't eat them but I grow them for others!).
In the past I have usually grown salad Cucumbers in the heated greenhouse which has a concrete floor so they are grown in pots. The pickling Cucumbers (Gherkins) have been grown in beds in the cold greenhouse simply alternating sides each year. This year I shall use the polytunnel for the Parisian Pickling to give the cold greenhouse a rest from them. I was also thinking of trying one or two salad Cucumbers in there to see how they go in in beds rather than pots. I only grow all female varieties; this year I have El Toro, La Dive and Emilie. Can I mix them or will I spoil the salad ones?
There will also be Melons, Courgettes and Squashes in there - does it matter?

[sally wright]

Dear Geoff,
if you want to have eating/salad cucumbers in a greenhouse then the gherkins need to be elsewhere no question. That said a cold greenhouse will do very well for cucumbers in the summer months. However, if you have had gherkins growing in the soil beds last year, then it might be worthwhile still growing them in pots; they are still cucumbers after all. Having the melons, courgettes and squash in there with them will not affect the cucumbers at all.
I would point out though if you are trying to rest the soil from cucumbers then putting in other cucurbitacae may not be the best idea. It might be best to choose something completely different this year such as tomatoes.
Regards Sally Wright.

[Geoff]

Thanks for that. I just wondered if any all female Cucumbers were also infertile so the problem would not arise. I'll leave the salad varieties in pots in the heated greenhouse and grow the Gherkins in the tunnel. Oddly they were something that did really well last season.

[FelixLeiter]

All-female cucumbers are not infertile, which is why they are bred to not produce male flowers. On the other hand, they produce fruits which have not been fertilised, so in that regard they are infertile. It's complicated.

You could get away with mixing glasshouse cucumbers with gherkins and their ilk, but you'll need to keep an eye on the developing fruits. Any that get pollinated will swell very obviously at the flower end (what's know in the trade as "bee stung") indicating that they can be removed. Clearly this makes them potentially less productive, but it depends how many cues you want — there's usually a glut, I find.

As far as rotation is concerned, you could grow grafted plants. grafted onto Fig-Leaved Gourd (C. ficifolia). Plants are relatively expensive to buy grafted. Grafting them yourself is easier than you might think, though.

[Johnboy]

Hi Felix,
I am always suspicious when I see the word could.
You could do all manner of things but do you really think it's worth it!
I think that the advice given by Sally is the best advice anybody could give.
JB.