What are the best outdoor cucumbers

**muddled** · 05-05-2015, 02:13 PM

Outdoor ridge cucumbers don't need a greenhouse Mr Biffo.
There are all different varieties.

This year I am growing 'Marketmore' which I find to be quite reliable outside (well, as cucumbers go....they're all a bit melodramatic) and gives nice long, dark green cucumbers a bit like supermarket ones only tastier.

I am also growing 'Paris Pickling' which are small and good for gherkins although can be left to grow bigger and used as a normal cucumber.

I like to grow one bog standard but reliable (the marketmore) and one rather more special, if a little more challenging one each year.

**rhyswales** · 05-05-2015, 02:39 PM

Originally posted by mrbiffo View Post

Hi can anyone let me know which are the best cucumbers to grow outside
or do they have to be grown in a green house which i do not have
many thanks in advance for any advice
kind regards
mr biffo chelmsford essex

Not all cucumbers have to grow in a greenhouse, best outdoor varietys i've grown are marketmore and burpless tasty. Another variety im trying outdoors this year is "iznik F1" but have yet to see how they perform.

Cucumbers will of course do better in a greenhouse (just like tomatoes for example) but most varietys are fine to grow outdoors.

**maverick451** · 05-05-2015, 02:48 PM

I like trying things and am going to try growing 2 types of outdoor bush cucumber in a large hanging basket

**Thelma Sanders** · 05-05-2015, 02:57 PM

La Diva is a climbing cuc which did well for me last year, got planted out quite late - as the nights stayed cool well into mid May.

**Valleyman** · 05-05-2015, 03:24 PM

Another vote for marketmore here. Always been reliable for me and give heavy crops. I'm only an occasional cucumber eater and will be growing just 2 plants this year after the enormous glut I had last year (carrier bags full of the things) with just 4 plants.

**KairdiffKid** · 05-05-2015, 04:08 PM

Depends on if you mean a supermarket style cucumber or more of a pickling style cucumber (I call them pickling as most of them aren't true gherkins). If it's the latter I've found they'll do just fine outdoors come the summer, but they'll need to be grown undercover to begin with. Lidl were selling seeds of a couple of varieties that seem to be OK outdoors (can't think of the names off the top of my head). Admittedly some years the crop is better than others.

**Alison** · 05-05-2015, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by maverick451 View Post

I like trying things and am going to try growing 2 types of outdoor bush cucumber in a large hanging basket

You'll need to keep on top of feeding and watering, two plants, even in a large basket, aren't going to have much compost each. I find hanging baskets only big enough for one tomato plant and would suspect it's the same for cucumbers.

**Zelenina** · 05-05-2015, 07:16 PM

My two favourite varieties of outdoor cukes so far are Muncher, which is a non-hybrid Lebanese type, and Suyo Long which is a long Chinese cucumber. Both have good disease resistance, and taste great with no bitterness. But they aren't the easiest to find seeds for. I got Muncher from The Organic Gardening Catalogue and Suyo Long from Brown Envelope Seeds in Ireland.

**sparrow100** · 05-05-2015, 07:25 PM

I like La Diva too. They aren't prickly and stay at a manageable size, whereas I found marketmore got huge very quickly.

**maverick451** · 05-05-2015, 07:31 PM

Originally posted by Alison View Post

You'll need to keep on top of feeding and watering, two plants, even in a large basket, aren't going to have much compost each. I find hanging baskets only big enough for one tomato plant and would suspect it's the same for cucumbers.

Sorry I meant 2 baskets with 1 different kind in each.

**Zelenina** · 05-05-2015, 07:32 PM

Spacemaster is also good if you want a smaller plant.

**Bill HH** · 05-05-2015, 10:15 PM

Every time i try to grow outdoor cucumbers they are devastated by mildew, same for courgettes. In the green house I dont get the same problem.

**Jonnyt** · 06-05-2015, 08:19 AM

I don't think there is any chance growing these in a hanging basket. I'd think a Pot would need to be a minimum of 15L to have any chance.

My vote is for Marketmore, it's so good I also grow this in the Greenhouse, the family love the taste far better than the supermarket telegraph types.

**bario1** · 06-05-2015, 08:46 AM

Originally posted by Bill HH View Post

Every time i try to grow outdoor cucumbers they are devastated by mildew, same for courgettes. In the green house I dont get the same problem.

Have you tried 'Defender' courgettes Bill? Mildew resistant, and for me they really worked last year.

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