Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: maxibo on June 04, 2013, 20:57
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I've just been out to water various veggies that are still here with me and not at plot. My cuke plants have had lots of flowers forming for a while now but the sun of the last few days, and me being brave and finally putting them out during day, has done them the world of good. Anyway, I waffle with excitement....... There is a male flower and a female flower both about to open! I shall be tickling them with a cotton bud when they do (tomorrow, I reckon). Does this mean I will get at least 1 cucumber? I should blooming well hope so. My nerves are in flitters babying these plants along ::) :wacko:
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I leave mine to get on with it. Most plants have got here today without help apart from F1 vers.
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I'm not sure I'll be able to resist 'doing' at least one. Can't I pretend I'm going to mark that one to save the seed from?
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I'm not sure I'll be able to resist 'doing' at least one. Can't I pretend I'm going to mark that one to save the seed from?
Excellent idea! ;) :lol:
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I think I might even be able to find a feather in my craft box to tie to a pea stick for tickling ;) :lol:
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I leave the insects to pollinate the veg. They do it so wonderfully :D I harvested three mini cues yesterday from My Cucino's and cornichon :tongue2:
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Ah I'm not jealous, not one little bit, I mean, its not like I've loved them, sung to them, told them they are pretty, even KISSED their fuzzywuzzy leaves, to the amusement of my neighbours and the horror of my son and OH.......Seriously, well done you for getting something so early after a very cold spring :)
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I look after them and I do ask them to fruit for me. I have fleeced the cues overnight in the greenhouse while the weather was cold, and it's paid off. Outdoor cues are much easier to grow I reckon but I've not done any this year, yet :)
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I've done miniature whites this year. First year of growing cuke's. Apparently good for indoor and protected outdoor. I've kept them in and maybe let them out on the odd sunny day, windy days put me off getting them out. But they've really started to grow and send out tendrils in the last few days, which thankfully coincided with the warm spell. Wouldn't be fair to keep them in now - I have to let them go. I just so want to be able to cut a homegrown cuke for my son who loves them and a bit for me and guinea pigs too! Still running into the porch with them at night though x
ps. Were they delicious and worth the effort?
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I've not done white cues, only the bog standard green outdoor varieties. They are crisp and tasty though. They will need support! They will want to climb so give them something to climb up as they will get into a right tangle. Moving them about won't be possible once they get going and they will require a permanent home til the end of the season when they're spent and get grubbed out and composted.
I grew mine up a trellis rigged up to the side of my shed on the least windy side of the plot. It was sunny though :)
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Wow, what an overdoting mama you are, maxibo :lol:
Hate to tell you but peas are self-fertile.
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Cucumbers must be my favourite plants to grow, and this year I couldn't be happier. I let the fruit off the main stem and pinch the side shoots off. I find they tend to get everywhere and need more support. Have started putting a pile of nearly rotted straws muck under each plant and wetting it twice a day, it creates loads of humidity and it seems to be working!
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Wow, what an overdoting mama you are, maxibo :lol:
Hate to tell you but peas are self-fertile.
Peas? :blink: But yes, ALL my veggies get the same attention. And my child, step children, pets and OH (in that order) of course.
Fab pic Totty!. What variety are they? I've got three cuke plants about that size. With two more just getting there true leaves now as standby's. Its only me and my son (+ 2 guinea pigs) who like cukes so I'm hoping that will be plenty for just the two of us. Any extras will be a bonus. The flowers are all starting to open, it's very exciting! I especially like how you can see all the tiny little fruit behind the female flowers Lovely :)
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That plant is "Carmen", as it was a week or so ago, and there are 6 of em. Also have "long John an Cucino. The fruits are quite long on these plants (except Cucino) so I've been taking the fruits off so they don't rest on the soil. I want to get them to about 5 ft then train them horizontal so the cukes hang down from above, so have been trying to race them up the canes by pinching out all shoots and fruits. Gonna start letting them set next week I reckon.
Totty
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Oooh I just had a google of 'cucino'. They sound good for us as they are tiny like the miniature whites should be. May give them a go next year. I hope I'm doing the right thing with my cuke's? I was under the impression that the miniature whites could be grown in pots? Mine are in big pots planted on a mound and seem to be doing ok. I've got them supported at the moment by a flower support tower thingummybob in each pot (I got them for 79p in homebargains) which seem to be doing the job. They are outside against a sunny wall and I will be able to rig up some sort of support for them when/if necessary. I haven't touched them with regard to pinching them out. I'm too afraid of killing them! They are full of both male and female flowers. I've given them FBB this week, should I give them something else? You sound like you know what you are doing so any advice will be appreciated!
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I think your miniature whites are quite a long vined variety so will scramble over the ground, but it will save you space and keep the fruits clean and relatively pest free if you let them scramble up something. They should be fine in large pots, so long as they are filled with good quality compost. Also you could bury the pots, that way the roots won't get anywhere near as hot and the pots won't lose water so quickly. Cucumbers do not like drying out at all.
You do need to feed them but I would use a half measures of tomato feed once a week and make some nitrogen feed by steeping some nettles in water somewhere out of the way, and after a few weeks dilute some in water till its the colour of weak tea and feed that once a weak also.
They will repay you with many little cukes.
Totty
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Thank you so on much Totty. We had a bucket of nettle tea on plot but it went missing, I hope it gave the person a shock when they lifted the lid :lol: I'll get on and make some more and give my cukes tomato feed in the meantime. I'm going to keep the cukes at home so I can keep them well watered - I can't always get to the plot everyday. Thanks again for the advice. Much appreciated x