[I Love Spuds]

Hi,

Can you helpful people tell me if you can plant just one cucumber plant or do you need two to pollinate. Last year I did two (on the advice of "the Mrs") thinking they needed to pollinate each other. But, I have F1 hybrid seeds which I have read in a book will most likely be all female 

We had far too many last year so just planting one will free up precious space in the greenhouse and avoid family and friends getting fed up of receiving cucumbers, ( ungrateful people )!

Thanks in advance.

[mumofstig]

A difficult question for some of us to advise on, as our cuckes have a tendency to die without reason.

I'd have to say sow at least 2 even if you only want to grow one   

You don't need more than one for pollination.

[A Reyt Tayty]

I have yet to riase a cuke from seed up to maturity. I've managed to get 'em up to 6"tall but then they shuffle off to the great greenhouse in the sky.

[I Love Spuds]

Ah ok, seems I was quite lucky last year with the glut I had then  This year I've started 4 seeds but only 1 has germinated so far (although it does look very healthy)! They've been in for 3 weeks so I guess I'm not going to be so lucky this year with my "cukes". I think I will start another couple of seeds and see how they go. I guess two planted out in the greenhouse, when ready, would be the safer option then 

Many thanks

[meterman]

if you transplant you cuc into a 6" pot with no bottom then into your gh boarder or growbag etc then never water the 6" pot your cucs should last all summer as stem rot kills most cucs

[I Love Spuds]

I get round the rot problem by half burying a old 2l drink bottle (cleaned, with the bottom cut off) next to the plant for watering, so they water doesn't sit around the stem. With your method though, you needn't upset things by removing the plant from the pot to plant in the border, so I might give it a go. Thanks

[mrsbean]

i grew outdoor cuc,s last year in raised bed. made mounds to plant them in, no room for any in greenhouse. also had pile of years old contaminated manure that i spread out and planted cuc,s and courgettes in. kept neighbours,workmates,local chinese takeaway going. wont make that mistake this year only one plant. at least i know i can plant beans were the manure is now.

[3759allen]

I get round the rot problem by half burying a old 2l drink bottle (cleaned, with the bottom cut off) next to the plant for watering, so they water doesn't sit around the stem. With your method though, you needn't upset things by removing the plant from the pot to plant in the border, so I might give it a go. Thanks

i done this last year with my cucumbers and tomatoes with good results. also saves on the amount of water needed as it goes to where it's needed.

did you run just one stem by cutting of the branches (not sure what they are actually called) and just leaving the main stem? i left all my branches on last year as i was expecting some to die, but they all survived and went mad and tried to take over the world. this gave a massive glut and took a lot out of the plant.

this year i'll be pruning so i just run the main stem. this should take up less space and be more controllable. 

[DD.]

It's called "pinching out the side shoots", but you should not generalise that this is the way to treat all tomatoes.

You need only do this to "cordon" or "indeterminate" varieties, not "bush" or "determinate" ones. The packet should tell you what sort they are.

[fatcat1955]

I grow mine in the G/H . I only grow 1 plant and mound the soil and plant at the top of the mound. I place a 3in flower pot half buried at the bottom of the mound and water via this. I have never lost a Cucumber plant.

[JayG]

In a half-decent summer I'm OK with the outdoor Marketmore ridge cucumbers, but have failed 3 years running with the greenhouse Passandra - thought I'd cracked it last year, but although they didn't rot at the base of the stem the leaves died from the bottom as fast (and then faster  ) than it produced new ones.

To add to my aggravation my neighbour grows them every year with no problems - her GH is quite severely shaded on two sides by an overgrown hedge, and a tall bamboo on the third, and I'm thinking/hoping that may provide the clue because in other respects I do pretty much what she does - I'm trying Piccolino this year and will protect them from direct sun and see what happens.......

[Fairy Plotmother]

Last year I planted 3 plants grown from seed, dumped them in my garden, trained them up and along the wall, chopped off leaves that got in the way and generally treated them badly. Cucumbers were very tasty!  sometimes it pays not to know what your doing. 

[JayG]

Not sure about that FP - I clearly don't know what I'm doing and it ain't worked for me so far!! 

[cudders]

Always get tons of Cucs.

This year I put in 3 seeds and all have taken. Now about 2 inch tall. One more inch and they go into the conservatory. Then into the Greenhouse end of May.

Last year I have over 30 and they were all twice the size of those in the shops..Yummy.

Cudders

[lettice]

Never that many in a packet anyway.
But I sow about 20 in my greenhouse and usually have about six plants in there and give six or so to my dad.
The rest I put around the garden outside.
I have grown Burpless for many years now and they always crop very well. The more the better for me.
All I do to them, is remove the yellowing leaves as they appear.
I build a string cage around them and help them grow up and within it.