[trimmy g]

Hello everyone, I am new here but have been reading for a long time picking up some invaluable tips, so thanks!
 
I am growing cucumbers in the greenhouse, never grown them before and have to admit have never seen a cucumber plant.   

Ok, so they are the Burpless variety, they are in large pots and look really healthy and green, are now about 18 inches high, got lots of leaves and a few tendril looking things, I have put some stakes in them to stop them toppling over.   I noticed today that there seem to be a lot of what look like new leaves coming in the bit between the leave stem and the main stem, the sort you would remove in tomatoes, --- do I leave these where they are?   I assume cucumbers flower, when should this happen and are there male and female ones, how can I tell the difference?

[mumofstig]

Burpless tasty green need to be pollinated, so don't remove any flowers. You can tell the femail ones 'cos they have a tiny cuc behind the flower and the male ones are just on a stem, but leave them all on anyway.

This T & M link tells you what to do
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/388/1.html

[sunshineband]

and don't take any bunches of leaves out - different to tomatoes 

[japagow]

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to ask questions I am also a new to greenhouses and cucumbers in particular

I have three cucumber plants growing, well, one actually. The other two got the droops and this has stunted their growth. The leaves flopped and the plants looked as if they were on the way out. One in particular goes up and down like a balloon.

What is going on? How can I prevent this? What are the rules governing temperature and ventilation?

Help.

[compostqueen]

If you're growing the variety Burpless Tasty Green I think you'll find they're outdoors ones

Cues in the greenhouse will need support as they scramble all over the place. They dislike overwatering and will keel over and die quite readily. One of mine has bit the dust today and I was drip watering it so couldn't believe it when I clocked the yellowing leaves and the floppy plant.

You can't regulate greenhouse temps unless you have sophisticated equipment but all you can do is open the doors and windows on hot days. You can suspend green netting or fleece on wires under the roof of the greenhouse to give shading, or paint some of that white stuff on. Mine get dappled shade from trees.  if you have doors and windows open you have to try and prevent birds getting in

[barbarella]

I'm growing Tasty Burpless Green in my greenhouse (it says you can grow these indoors or out on the packet)  - two in a growbag and one in a pot.  They are growing well up canes and are about four feet high with two or three 6-7" cues and lots of flowers on each plant.    The instructions say to pinch out the growing tip when there about six pairs of leaves but normally I've read you should pinch out when they reach the roof.  I would rather do this as I don't want to faff about putting up netting if the canes will support the plants. 

Also I'm not sure when to crop the cucumbers - they are nearly long enough, but quite thin and with prickles on the bottom half - they started off with prickles all over but the skin started to go smooth from the top.  Also the remains of the withered flowers are still on them.  They don't look quite ready to me, but I want to keep the crop coming - any advice please?

Also, I haven't started feeding them or my tomatoes yet as they have only been in the growbags about three weeks and the bags are supposed to contain tomato food.  Should I be feeding now?  There are quite a lot of small green toms.

Also I have some nettles nicely soaked in a lidded tub, which I am going to dilute for tomato feed.  Should I add this as well as or instead of Tomorite?

[Zippy]

My first cucumber year also.

I picked the first one while there were still hints of prickles on but it was slightly under ripe, so I guess the sign is when the outer skin goes smooth?

[barbarella]

I'll give it a few more days then

[goodegg]

your cues will be ready when they are a bit bigger than those you buy at the shop

[mumofstig]

your cues will be ready when they are a bit bigger than those you buy at the shop

unless you have the new lunchbox size ones as these are half size cucumbers

[barbarella]

your cues will be ready when they are a bit bigger than those you buy at the shop

unless you have the new lunchbox size ones as these are half size cucumbers

I think Tasty Burpless are the smaller ones.

[mumofstig]

Burpless can grow 10-12in long
these ones are really lunchbox sized 

[B_and_D]

Pretty much what everyone else has said - oh, and slugs / snails, and pretty much everything else loves them.  Had a disaster with ours this year - potted on to the g/h border and something took a liking to them.     Had already given away the spares, so had to resort to buying from the garden centre, dagnammit.  Lesson larned for next year.

[Imogen]

Hi Guys,

I am also growing my first cucumber crop this year and I am also growing the Burpless tasty green variety in the greenhouse!

As I am growing them "indoors" and the door of the greenhouse is only open on very hot days should I help with pollination with a cotton bud like I do my chilli plants???

Sorry for hijacking the thread it just seemed relevant to the original post.

Imogen x

[barbarella]

I leave my doors open on most days - just a bit or wide open depending on the weather, but recently mostly open wide.   Lots of bees fly in along with quite a few flies, midges etc judging by the yellow sticky strips I hang up (no bees on them thank goodness).   My cucumbers are next to the door and have quite a few fruits on them.

Why don't you leave the doors open most of the day Trimmy?  Then you would be sure.  Also use shade netting and wet the floor whenever you can on hot days as cucumbers like humidity and it deters red spider mite.