Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Optimistic Gardener on July 22, 2013, 15:43
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Hi
I've been growing Diva cucumbers very happily for the last 2 years. This year they have raced away and are covered in flowers and small fruits each about 1 inch long. Trouble is, they don't seem to be swelling or getting any bigger. They stay that size, and then go pale green before turning yellow and dropping off or else I cut them off.
I thought Diva was a self polinating variety and certainly I haven't done anything to previous years when I had cucumbers coming out of my ears. I water well daily and feed with tomato feed once a week. Doors to the greenhouse are always left open in this weather.
What's going on please?
Thanks
OG
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:(
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Mine are the same, loads on but nothing bigger than inch. I've never grown them before, perhaps when they say mini, they mean mini ;)
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I'm sorry, I missed your post :(
Not that I'd be much help cos my La Diva are having problems as well *sigh* Mine have nearly all male flowers despite supposedly being an all-female variety. The few small flowers/cukes are also dropping off like yours.
I wondered if mine needed a little more humidity so hung some bubble-wrap over them, the plants look happier, but it's made no difference to fruit set :(
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Oh dear - not just me then! I haven't got any ripe toms yet and I was hoping to harvest something from the greenhouse before I went on hols! I wonder if I've got all male flowers as well?
Annen - they should be picked between 3 and 4 inches long.
Thanks for your replies. Let me know if your's start to pick up!
OG
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Annen - they should be picked between 3 and 4 inches long.
OG
Thanks OG, that is good to know, but no, nothing as big as that. Lots of female flowers though and hardly any males. Must be something to do with the dry weather.
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I am pleased to announce that last night I found 2 cucumbers; one is 3 inches long and the other is 2 inches. There are more on the way. I guess I was being just a bit impatient. Some lower down the plant are still dropping off but the others further up seem fine and healthy and a decent size. I may even get to eat a couple before I go away! There will be loads left on my return though. Yum.
I hope your cucumbers pick up soon as well.
:tongue2:
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I keep the humidity high in my greenhouse but keeping empty gravel trays full of water, spraying the foliage with water and soaking the floor.
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spraying the foliage with water and soaking the floor.
I won't do that because for the last 3 years I've had bad botrytis on the tomatoes :ohmy:
Perhaps I need one of those mini greenhouses just to grow some cucs in ::)
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Yey! Diva cucumbers at last, I got so excited I picked them without considering whether they were big enough.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CamZRvbA4Ks/UgFIeisOCzI/AAAAAAAAEaU/JPwcROjC-9g/s640/WP_000329.jpg?gl=GB)
They are about 3 inches long, and very tasty...
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I can reccomend Cucino F1 mini cucumbers (from T&M I think) for next year. Lots of 4/5 inch cucs and a much crisper less watery taste than the full size ridge cucumbers which I grew. Next year I will stickto Cucino alone.
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Can you still get "Bimbostar"? We grew those in a polytunnel with no special treatment, they were scrumptious, couldn't get enough of them. Never made it to pickling!
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We've been (almost) overwhelmed by the crop we've had this year from Piccolo di Parigi grown in the polytunnel. We've always grown Marketmore or Crystal Lemon or both in previous years with perfectly good results, but this variety seems to be the way to go.
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After that early post when I had none, I've since been inundated with them. What with them and the marketmore, I've lost count, but it must be nearing 100. The neighbours have started avoiding me in case I press a cucumber on them.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7XvYhCwLkJ4/UiZSvM6bX7I/AAAAAAAAEqA/IXxe9mlU9Jc/s640/IMG_1801.JPG?gl=GB)
They started to grow when it rained and the air got moister, which can't be coincidence.
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Yup - got cucumbers coming out of my ears now! Just goes to show you, I need to be more patient earlier in the season. Still got some baby fruits developing and one or two flowers as well. I reckon that they'll be finished in another 6 weeks or so but we shall see.