Removing male flowers from cucumbers

**Fleurisa** · 20-05-2014, 09:17 AM

Female flowers are the ones with a mini cucumber behind them, your plant might not have grown any male flowers

**sparkygardener** · 20-05-2014, 09:24 AM

Thanks, cool. Glad its not just me being unobservant.

**catgirl** · 20-05-2014, 11:18 AM

Perhaps your seed packet has got generic instructions on growing cucumbers on it? I know there are some cucumber varieties that make both male and female flowers, but I seem to have only ever grown varieties that solely have female flowers. As Fleurisa said, the female flowers have a mini cucumber behind them. The male flowers will just have a thin stem.

**BertieFox** · 20-05-2014, 11:35 AM

Most cucumbers nowadays are all female varieties. You can probably tell from the price of the F1 seed, for which you have to take out a second mortgage! It is only the ridge types and outdoor ones which would be traditional types with male and female flowers, and where bitterness is introduced if they get pollinated (but not always).

**Nicos** · 20-05-2014, 12:37 PM

Here ya go....might help peeps growing cucumbers for the first time!...

**Alison** · 20-05-2014, 04:26 PM

Originally posted by BertieFox View Post

Most cucumbers nowadays are all female varieties. You can probably tell from the price of the F1 seed, for which you have to take out a second mortgage! It is only the ridge types and outdoor ones which would be traditional types with male and female flowers, and where bitterness is introduced if they get pollinated (but not always).

Most ridge type do indeed produce male and female but need both kept on, it's more the old fashioned greenhouse ones that need the male ones removed but as already stated a lot are female only now to save us the bother - although even those can produce the odd male one if stressed. It's a minefield if you don't know what you're growing

**judy2shoes** · 14-06-2014, 11:06 AM

I am growing Marshalls "Fatum" which has no instructions on taking off the male flowers. Online cant find where i need to do that. Anyone got any advice?

**Nicos** · 14-06-2014, 11:15 AM

...just snip them off with a pair of scissors on that thin stem behind the flower.^^^^^see the piccies I posted comparing male to female flowers!

**WeedItAndReap** · 14-06-2014, 06:36 PM

I'm growing Telegraph Improved and I'm getting LOADS of male flowers. There are lots of female ones too, though. I was a bit worried the male flowers were a sign of stress, seeing as there are so many.

**Nicos** · 14-06-2014, 07:02 PM

Not sure about cucumbers, but courgettes usually produce mostly male flowers to start with.

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Removing male flowers from cucumbers

Removing male flowers from cucumbers

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