Cucamelon

[JoeDaStudd]

Are they only the first few flowers?
I've read that the male flowers take a while to appear, so they can't pollinate for a week or so.
I've had a few of the first flowers/cucamelons fall off, but they seem to be bulking up now (about 1 week or so after they fell off).

I'm beginning to wish I had planted them outside as they towered my 4' wigwam in a week or so and are now in the process of jumping between them.
Added to the 5 (was only expecting 3 out of the 5 to germinate) cucumbers I'm growing and the 9 tomato plants the little greenhouse looks like a jungle.

On the plus side I did try one of the fallen tiny cucamelons and they did taste really nice. Fingers crossed they keep bulking up.

[taff]

Haha it's going to be hard work pollinating by hand it's a jungle in there!

Blimey...I though I was bad for cramming stuff in......

[Small pumpkin]

ChrisMath88 what is the hart shaped leaf & purple flower thing? It look really cool.

[ChrisMath88]

Heart shaped leaf is a cucumber and the purple flower is morning glory that grew up the cucumber stem


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[Small pumpkin]

Thank you.

[ChrisMath88]

No problem


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[BarleyMo]

Me too!!

Hi Chris,

Have you had any further joy? I have 2 plants that are outside and they're doing the same as yours and dropping the small pods before they get to any real size. I thought it might be down to it getting too cool overnight but if I understand correctly yours are inside so I guess thats not the case...

Mo

[ChrisMath88]

Hi Mo,

I've got 4 plants and after tens of them falling off the males flowers have come out and it looks like it was a pollination thing as I've now spotted two that seem to be going on from the stage where the usually drop off, still not having great success but a few are making it now!


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[Filbert]

My plants are really messy, growing in all directions but I am reassured that this seems to be their normal habit.

[JoeDaStudd]

Just a quick update, even though mine started to bulk up a little more after the male heads formed, they still carried on dropping off.
As a last ditched attempt I moved them from the greenhouse (figured they would like the heat like cucumbers and melons do) outside and within a few days they start to really swell.

Looks like they need to be outside and don't like shake pollination or even attempting to manually pollinate them with a feather.

If anyone else is having trouble with them dropping off and they are in a greenhouse or polytunnel. Move them outside ASAP and you'll be surprised how soon it they stop dropping off.

[Mumbles]

Last year I had four plants in a blow away greenhouse, this year I have two plants outside in a slightly shaded area. Although I had a fair few fruits and didn't notice any dropping off (it was a bit jungle like in they they could have dropped unnoticed) last year, this years crop is looking much more promising


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