[debih]

Back in April my polytunnel blew away, taking my table and seedlings with it.   I managed to salvage all but a few tomato plants and although some of the name sticks fell I was pretty confident of what was what.  The one thing that I was not confused over was my cucumber plants.

I have now planted two cucumber plants and two water melon plants in the polytunnel and they are growing well but I am starting to question whether or not they are actually what I think they are.

They all have very similar leaves (which are very similar to courgette leaves) and at the base they have all started to sprout little buds and start to put out little tendrils.  On the largest of the plants (which I am sure is one of the cucumbers) the little buds have turned into little yellow balls.

I am now starting to worry that they are in fact courgettes!   I did have 8 courgette seedlings on the go at the same time.  I can't remember what type they were but I know that they are the ones that look like normal green courgettes but are yellow.

I have never grown melons or cucumber before so don't really know what they should look like.  I have grown courgettes before but to be honest have never paid that much attention to them - with courgettes you just sort of plant them and they grow in abundance don't they.

I was going to take some photos but we are off on our holidays tomorrow and I have packed the camera.   

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good photos of melon, cucumber and courgette plants at various stages of growth so I can try to work out what these are.

I suppose it will be a lovely surprise as to what they end up being - unless it is courgettes which will then fill my polytunnel with their long tendrils!

[JaK]

I can't say about the melon plants but the cucumber ones do look just like courgette plants.

[JayG]

Very recent thread on here (not tried it myself!)

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=77601.msg882714#msg882714

[mumofstig]

courgettes don't have tendrils, and have a small courgette growing behind the quite large flowers.....so that one is easy.

Cucumbers will have smaller flowers with a tiny cucumber growing behind the female flower, melons have small flowers with a tiny melon. (the male flowers are just on a thin stalk for both)

What you thought were cukes must be melons

Simples!

[debih]

I have a feeling that I have 3 cucumber plants and one melon after reading the link as one plant is much smaller than the others.

I am just off up to the tunnel to sniff the leaves.   

[debih]

Well that hasn't helped. 

The leaves all smell like ................................leaves!

Oh well, will just have to wait and see what I get.   

I do hope that they aren't courgettes - I already have two courgette plants in the allotment and we only really grow them because we feel that we "ought to".  We don't really like them all that much!!!

[stompy]

Melons have small melons behind the female flower, but the melons at this stage are fury  

[debih]

I have just found the courgette packet.  I planted Floridor courgettes - the round, yellow variety!

I have a feeling that there are 3 courgette plants and one anonymous plant in my polytunnel.  All nicely lined up just as you go through the door way!

That'll be fun when they start to grow then!

[stompy]

Have the alleged courgette plants got tendrills?

[debih]

Yes - they have small thin tendrils down at the base of the plant, near the small yellow ball things.

[mumofstig]

See my previous post

courgettes don't have tendrils, and have a small courgette growing behind the quite large flowers.....so that one is easy.

[stompy]

Unless they are a climbing variety?
Does it say on the pack?

[debih]

No - they are not a climbing variety.

Oh - now I am very confused as to what they are.

Hopefully whatever they are will grow whilst we are on our holidays (with loving care from our neighbours) and the mystery will be revealed when we get home

[stompy]

If they have tendrills and they are round then they will be melons.  

[debih]

I will pray for melons. 

Anything really other than an abundance of courgettes.