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Posted by irisdublin (U14428036) on Friday, 9th July 2010
People on my allotment were talking about talking off female cucumbers from the plant.
Do i need to do this and what do they look like?
Thanks
Annmarie
The females have a small cucumber behind them. Remove all of them and you will get no crop.
The time to remove some is when the plants are still small as you want to get a strong plant before allowing it to crop.
Taking off male flowers is another matter,the ones with no cucumber behind them. I go back to the days of `telegraph` where one did remove the male flowers to avoid the fruit being pollinated and subsequently tasting rather bitter
Oh dear - i,m a bit confused now
I'm growing cucumbers for the first time, they are growing up some canes, and have lovely yellow flowers with what i thought was the fruit forming behind the flower - are you saying I have to remove these?
any advise please.
I've never removed any of the flowers on mine, I didn't know you had to? I still get cucumbers.
no do NOT remove the female flowers
Removing the male flowers is suppoesed to make the cucumber taste better
Miss-polly. I guess you are growing an outdoor cucumber such as `Marketmore`?. Just leave them and don`t worry.
Think of cucumbers as being of three types-it`s not exact but gives an idea.
Outdoor/ridge types-Marketmore,Burpless tasty green and so on-leave alone.
All Female F1 hybrids primarily intended for indoor growth. Here it`s a good idea to remove the first few fruit to show while the plant grows and gets established.
Open pollinated cucumbers of a more old fashioned type-eg `Telegraph` again usually for cultivation under cover. These had both male and female flowers and one removed the male flowers.
Confused?-no it`s easy
Hi Anne Marie,
As smiling cat said, the female flowers are the ones with fruits forming behind the flowers. Do NOT remove these ones. The others are the males and, depending on the variety may lead to the pollination of the females which can cause bitter fruits. Modern varieties do not seem to have this problem hovever.
I do not remove any flowers and have no trouble, just lots of dleicious cucumbers. I grow "Marketer". Picked the first today in fact.
I've just repeated what everyone elso has said but I tried to bring it all together!
happy day
Phew- thanks for all the advise - hers hoping Ann-marie and I, get lots of lovely cues.
Thanks a mil guys.
Lots of both flowers so ill be sure not to take off he ones that look like cucs. Mine are telegraph and dont facy bitter cucs!
Hello, I'm growing marketmore and I picked my first cucumber a couple of days ago. Even though I have read that it is an outdoor variety I'm growing it in the greenhouse.
I understood that all male flowers should be removed otherwise the fruits go bitter so that is what I am doing and cucumbers are appearing, and growing thick and fast.
I have 3 plants on the go and think that I will soon be giving some away. One thing I never realised before is that marketmore cucumbers are spiky. But with a little rub with a cloth the spikes fall off leaving a smooth fruit.
I'm growing Telegraph Improved and they say to remove the male flowers. I know they are a greenhouse crop (well, I know that now, I didn't when I bought the seeds), but I am growing them outdoors as I live in a flat and grow things on my balcony. They are growing really well and have several litle cucumbers starting to form.
Do cucumbers have a taste?
Yes they certainly do. they taste very much like cucumbers if I'm not mistaken.
I should ask the same question about courgettes. My wife has plenty of recipes on how to present courgettes in an interesting way and they all are based on ways to incorporate flavour. The best of all is a Courgette and Lime cake fantastic
please may we have the recipe I dont like courgettes but my husband does so I am growing some for him. However i wld like to try the cake.
Thanks
EH
I like the reply that cucumbers taste like cucumbers,how many non gardeners see them as something tastleless that they buy from supermarkets?
Mind you I could say the same about tomatoes.
To all gardeners-take a smug bow as we start to harvest crops with flavour
everhopeful :may you should look on the food board it is full of courgette recipes.
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