Kitchen Garden Forum

Last year i bought two cucumber plants that were 'all female' which produced a very good crop. This year i have grown my own from seed but it didn't say on the packet if they are an all female variety. Do i have to do something different this year such as removing any of the flowers?

thanks

Hi GIB,
If you would care to post the name of your variety I am sure someboby will be able to give you a definitive answer.

no i think just keep it the same

If you haven't got the packet the chances are that the only non-all-female around is Telegraph. Have a look behind any flowers, if there is no mini-fruit on about half of them then the chances are that it's all female. The other clue is the number of seeds for your money, if only typically 10 or less, down to 4 seeds that must be an all-female variety, if there were lots of seeds then it will need the male flowers to pollinate the females before you have fruit.
For outdoor cucumbers the non-hybrids such as Burpless Tasty Green still predominate, just let the bees look after those.
Allan

Hi Allan

You are right, i remember the packet saying something Telegraph, possibly Jerusalem Telegraph? there were around 10 seeds in the packet. So, assuming that it will have male and female flowers do i just leave the male flowers on the plant to pollinate the females or are they removed at any stage?

thanks

And I gave 'SEEDLING' and 'THE PIGLETS' a plant each too in the plant-swop at Malvern on Sunday, and there were eenie-weenie cucumbers behind potential flowers already in existence.
Not having grown this variety myself before, it'd be interesting to see what's to be learned from those of you who HAVE grown this variety with comparative success in the past.
It's all about removing Male flowers to stop the pollen transferring to Female flowers, and making the fruits bitter, no?!
I shall 'watch and learn'...
Lol
Wellie

And a quality cucumber it is as well Wellie, its is rampaging away in my tunnel. Ta muchly

I'm growing Telegraph too and 2 other all female ones - Femspot and Cucina.

Chantal gave us a couple of cucina but Femspot sounds like something you girls buy at Boots the Chemist

You should not mix all-females with non hybrids or you stand the risk of pollinating the females and getting bitter fruits.
Allan

Being a bit slow........I am not sure what I have to do now when I plant my telegraph cucumbers out, defintely not plant them with any other types (does that also mean plan them away from my courgettes and pumpkins) and do I need them to pollinate each other and do I need to help the pollination with a brush to transfer the pollen

Confused Compo (It doesn't take much)

Compo !

You growing the Telegraphs indoors or outdoors? I'm under the impression that it's a Greenhouse variety, so the two I've got left are going in the BigGirlsGreenhouse at the far end, where it's warmer.

And I'm still sticking my neck out here and saying the male flowers (with no immature cucumber behind it) should be removed in order to prevent bitter female fruits, because I'm sure that's what I read...?
Wellie

I grew cucumbers a few years ago
I just wondered if there were supposed to be spikey bobbles on them?
They tasted fine-i cannot recall the variety

The spiky ones are ridge cucumbers, they taste just as good as the indoor cucs, in my opinion a better flavour, more cucumbery than the indoor ones, I eat those for choice when in season. The spikes rub off easily. Most varieties are short but there are exceptions.Burpless Tasty Green is very reliable, an incredible cropper, better buy a strong wheelbarrow for harvest time.
Allan

Thank you Allan
They were incredibly tasty, sadly my friends 5 yr old son ate most of them whilst he 'helped' me in my garden!!
I think I'll try and grow them again