Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: rainie on May 09, 2011, 07:52

Title: Cucumber plants
Post by: rainie on May 09, 2011, 07:52

How do i know which are male and which are female? Am I meant to remove something, maybe a flower? I usually just let them grow and hope they grow fruit.

Title: Re: Cucumber plants
Post by: mumofstig on May 09, 2011, 07:54

the female flower has a tiny cuke behind it and the male flower only has a stalk.

Not all varieties have to have the male flowers removed, it depends on which variety you are growing?

Title: Re: Cucumber plants
Post by: DD. on May 09, 2011, 07:55

This is where it gets complicated.

Indoor ones need the male flowers removing. Female flowers will have a small embryonic cucumber behind the flower. Most greenhouse varieties these days are F1's and will only produce male flowers under stress.

Outdoor ones - leave them alone!

Title: Re: Cucumber plants
Post by: rainie on May 09, 2011, 08:16

Checked diary, Telepathy F1.

Will have a look at them tonight.
Thank you.

Title: Re: Cucumber plants
Post by: DD. on May 09, 2011, 08:18

That's a "Telegraph" type cucumber which may well produce male flowers. You'll need to remove them.