Grow Your Own Magazine

hi all, I am an allotment newbie, have bought a cucumber plant and wanted to know if it needs to go in a cold frame or if this is not neccessary. (it is called F1 all female). if it does I will have to build one!

Hi danielsan,

In my experience how you look after cu's depends on:

Some are greenhouse , some are fine outside, it would be beneficial to find out the type and name of the actual variety you have so you can give it exactly what it needs.

Your location - when do you get your last frosts/cold spells less than 9-10' C ish at night,

Do you get windy weather/gales in summer, or regular wet & cold overcast summer days

I live in a mild maritime climate and get the occasional cold wet spell in summer and then the odd gale, because of this I grow all my cu’s in frames/under glass/plastic, outside they always struggle to produce a sizable crop. Because I’m right by the sea I’ve taken a chance on not having another serious cold spell and have planted out all my larger cu’s already, but I do have some more on the way to go out in June just in case I lose them – I’ve always found that cu’s never recover if they suffer cold, drought, wind etc.

If your not sure what type or variety you have I would build it a frame anyway and plant it outside in the frame only when night time temps allow – again depends where you are!

Good luck with it.

KC

Welcome to the Vine Danielsan. Where are you in the country? But wherever, I would think the days for cold frames are over.
Wherever you are, I think if you put your cucumber outside during the day and bring it in at night for a few days it will be fine to plant out.
Mine have been out for several weeks, but I do have a very sheltered garden - and always have the fleece at the ready.
Good luck.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

F1's not a name. What's the name of the variety?

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

sorry don't know the name, that's all it says on the tab that came with it.
I am in the midlands area, we had a couple of light frosts last week which killed a couple of my runner beans and spuds. also my beans seemed to have been nibbled by something, which my allotment neighbour said she thought was birds. has anyone had experience of this or is it slugs?

I put my cicmbers out last year and they did fine - obviously, some are more sensitive than others, but once the last frost has passed and it's above about 10, you'll probably be fine. Do you have a greenhouse? where are they now?

Our garden centre also just labels it's F1 cucumbers as 'F1 - all female'. It is my understanding that these are the cucumbers that grow best in a greenhouse. I could well be wrong but mine are always grown under glass. There are other types - usually not F1 - that will grow outdoors. Good luck with your cukes danielsan.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk