cucumber male flowers

[billnorfolk]

Got 2 cucumber plants in my greenhouse ,just noticed one has 3 flowers on dont look like female flowers as no cucumber behind just on a thin stalk,now should i leave them on or pinch them off Thanks Bill

[alan refail]

Firstly, Bill, what variety are they?

[billnorfolk]

I knew someone would ask that

Bought them on line ,just mailed the grower will let you know if they respond.Bill

[billnorfolk]

Well the young lady says Market more all female flowers thought they should have a cucumber behind ,these dont look as if they have .

[Nature's Babe]

Maybe you just need to be patient the male flowers appear before the female ones. All female varieties give really good yields in a greenhouse,
If your cucumbers are in growbags feed regularly, ( high potash ) in the ground outside, I just let the plants get on with it feed the soil well with compost and mulch and they will be happy and productive.

[alan refail]

Well the young lady says Market more all female flowers thought they should have a cucumber behind ,these dont look as if they have .

Hi Bill

The young lady is misleading you

Marketmore is a ridge cucumber, mainly grown outdoors, and needs pollination to produce cucumbers. As NB says, the male flowers come before the female, so be patient. It is very definitely not "all-female". Don't remove the male flowers!

http://www.beansandherbs.co.uk/tipsoutdoorcucs.htm

Hope this helps.

Alan

PS Now you see why I asked what variety they were.

Next year save money and buy some seed - they're cheap as chips.

[Nature's Babe]

Alan is right marketmore is more usually grown outdoors though they can be grown in a greenhouse, outdoors they usually pollinate freely, in a greenhouse though you might get more fruit if you hand pollinate with a soft
paintbrush from male to female. Just a suggestion, is it too late to move them outdoors and get a couple of all female for the greenhouse?

[Geoff]

Cucumbers do better with a balanced feed or even extra Nitrogen compared to Tomatoes that's one of the reasons they don't do well together. Use Miracle Gro rather than Phostrogen or Tomorite.

[billnorfolk]

Thanks for the answeres first time i have grown some ,bought off ebay next year will grow my own from seed ,seems the person i bought off doesnt know her cucumbers.I have miracle grow so will start useing .For next year what is recomended in seed for indoor growing.

[Nature's Babe]

My fav F1 is Paska, prolific, thin skinned, tasty, good enough to eat like apples, they are not long and thin but a good size and fatter, which means they stay crisp longer, and unlike some greenhouse varieties that crop together snd fizzle out they seem to keep cropping for longer

[billnorfolk]

Will try that next year thanks.