Tell me please, are they big enough?

[mrdinkle]

Are these ready do you thinks?

they are the length of what you get in the shops, but not the girth... should I ignore that and have one off the plant?



Also is it acceptable to remove the severely tatty leaves from underneath?

[shirlthegirl43]

Eat them up!! I think the only rule with cucumbers is not to leave them to turn yellow or the plant will stop producing. If the leaves are really tatty, then remove them, I usually leave them until they turn brown.

[mrdinkle]

Woohaa. there are loads on these plants, I shall have them coming out me ears.

I will pick one tomorrow and have some in my lunch.

[davefromthechipie]

I'd pick um Your have loads more cuc's to come imo they taste better smaller and the seeds inside are more edible then letting them turn marrow like .

[lynda66]

wow, i'd have been far too excited to let them get that big ..... if i get one 1/2 that size i'll be happy

[vegnut]

Absolutely scoffable. cucumber and vinegar sarnies. YUM

[mrdinkle]

I've resisted thus far as my neighbours were humungous last year. kind of cucmber envy.

hahahahaha

[areia]

wow they are huuuuuuuuuuge, pick em, i have never found it any harm to pick fruit a little early, ie beans carrots half the time they taste all the more sweeter

[Alice]

I'd have them scoffed. Well done MrDinkle.

[parrot1974]

I think I must have a very dirty mind... I'm very impressed with the number of clean and sensible replies to this one.

[markwcel]

the only reason u dont see them thinner in the shops is the eu rule on how cucumbers should be...commercial growers would proberly discard them even tho theres nothing wrong with them

[mrdinkle]

Yup, the rest of mine would not pass the straight test neither

I had the biggest one off the plant and we had it in our salad tonight - yum yum yum. definitely recommend this variety - seeds of italy viridis ibrido or summin. my standard ridge ones are dinky in comparison.

[KellsSimon]

If you've got loads, (or just one cause it's ace!) Make some tzatziki.
Grate 1/2 a cue, and salt it ( this draws the water out.) Leave it somewhere where it can drip.
Wait at least half an hour, then squeeze the gratings over the sink, and drop them in a bowl.
Mess up a garlic cloves day... as fine as you can make it, then throw this in,
A handfull of chopped mint, big or small,
erm.. oh yeah and some yoghurt. Greek would be traditional, but any plain yog' you like, maybe half a pint (300ml in new money? or what ever you like really, just make it white with green its in... but not too thin.)
Leave it a while, come back stir and enjoy.
Goes well with salad, bread, in sandwidges with grilled meat and fish... or in a sneaky spoonful as you pass the fridge.

By the way, there is a hot extreme version that is more a vehicle for garlic, and less cue' flavour, just add more garlic cloves to taste!
I know this isn't about growing, sorry. But we do grow them for a reason.
hope you enjoy
oh and if it sound like a boreing long recipie...
Grate salt squeeze, garlic mint youghurt... taste and grin.

[mrdinkle]

sounds nice. Might have a go.

when you say 'salt it' what do you mean?

[sewer rat]

You can remove some of the lowr leaves if you wish, but I wouldn't use looking tatty as a reason. I have removed the lowest 4 or 5 leaves on my cuke plants (after they reached about 3 to 4 ft in height, but this was for entirely practical reasons - I needed access to their "watering points" without splashing leaves of the base of the stems.