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Cucumber variety selection advice needed please

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  • #1

    Cucumber variety selection advice needed please

    I am wondering if I need to reconsider my variety for growing please. This year will hopefully be having a small tunnel in addition to my GH. We are blessed to have a lot of bees and pollinating insects thanks to fish pond and flowers alongside. As it gets warmer I have the GH open, and would do same with tunnel due to heat.

    I only grew Marketmore and Crystal apple cucumbers in past. We moved a few years ago, and I am lucky enough now to have a 12x6 polycarbonate, which had the Crystal apple in. The La Diva and Socrates were grown 2019 in a blowaway placed in different area by accident to GH due to space, and not near bees.

    I was planning to grow the ones below, but after reading Quangle thread questioning female and male flowers, I am wondering if I need to reconsider. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...f1_100773.html

    Cucumber - Crystal Apple - love this one
    Cucumber baby - Beth Aplha - first time growing, packet says f1

    Packets say F1 and to grow in GH, remove male flowers -

    Cucumber baby - Socrates f1
    Cucumber - La Diva f1 - a firm favourite
    Cucumber - Telephathy f1, back up for La Diva in case of failure

    I do have seeds for Marketmore, but wasn't planning to grow it, but could

    Have seeds for Cucamelon and Cuc White Wonder, but both were very bitter in 2018, now am wondering if that was my fault for growing too close together in GH?
    Anything is possible with the right attitude, a hammer
    and a roll of duct tape.

    Weeds have mastered the art of survival, if they are not in your way, let them feed bees
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Not sure but I’m sure someone knowledgeable will be along shortly. I grew Marketmore last year and it did pretty well in pots so I may try it again in the ground this year.
    Last edited by muckdiva; 27-01-2020, 08:26 PM.
    All at once I hear your voice
    And time just slips away
    Bonnie Raitt

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    • #3
      Maybe a silly question but how on earth do you manage to eat all your cucumbers? I had two "La Diva" plants last year and we ate loads, gave lots away, made pickles and still had cucumbers to spare.

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      • #4
        I was surprised to see that Sarah Raven grows her la Diva outside, up canes

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747CS86i7uk&t=14s

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        • #5
          Originally posted by greenishfing View Post
          Maybe a silly question but how on earth do you manage to eat all your cucumbers? I had two "La Diva" plants last year and we ate loads, gave lots away, made pickles and still had cucumbers to spare.
          I grow the smaller cukes - they're the right size to eat as you wander round the garden. A full size cuke would be ostentatious.

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          • #6
            I eat loads of Appl cucs straight from plant, then lots are eaten at smaller 6-8 size, plus teenagers and family drink loads of cucumber water, oldest dds addicted to smoothies.

            I grow a couple of each and not found the way to grow them best yet in this garden. Years ago I had a 20' tunnel and my Crystal Apple would romp away freely, hubby is boring and keeps my undercover ambitions reined in, grrr. I am not the best at growing these straighter cucumbers.
            Anything is possible with the right attitude, a hammer
            and a roll of duct tape.

            Weeds have mastered the art of survival, if they are not in your way, let them feed bees

            Comment

            • #7
              I grow 3 outdoors, and managed to get plenty for eating/ preserving.
              Big Cuke: Burpless tasty green
              Little cuke: Beth Alpha
              this year I am also going to try:
              Mini: Dimant which is going in the GH.
              V.P.
              The thing I grow best are very large slugs!

              Comment

              • #8
                I grow la diva,cucino & mini munch outside in pots,the only time I’ve had male flowers on them is when they’ve been in their 3” pots for too long,so I never sow too early so I’m able to put them in their final positions when they’re smallish,male flowers are nothing to worry about though you can just pick them off. Do marketmore have male & female flowers that are wanted by the plant but then are they a risk to the female only varieties,could the marketmore men accidentally pollinate the female plants & make them bitter?
                Location : Essex

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                • #9
                  I think what I am getting myself worried over is the fact I grew f1 female cucumber away from other cucs and bees by accident for first time last year, and they worked.

                  However this year year my plan was moving thing around. Until I read another thread trying to figure out what flower their cucumber would have I was feeling ok. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...f1_100773.html

                  Now I am wondering if my potential female gh cucs will be offended by the Apple cucs who have both flowers. Also if the bees may move from gh to tunnel... Will the cucumbers interbreed, and become bitter. Is this the solution to my bitter experience with a different cucumber White Wonder (had a horrible taste)
                  Last edited by Mamzie; 28-01-2020, 09:37 AM.
                  Anything is possible with the right attitude, a hammer
                  and a roll of duct tape.

                  Weeds have mastered the art of survival, if they are not in your way, let them feed bees

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    I found this online,I don’t know how far apart the plants should be? -
                    Avoid growing ridge cucumbers too close to greenhouse ‘all-female’ F1 types as this will lead to cross-pollination, which can produce bitter fruits.
                    Location : Essex

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Thelma Sanders View Post
                      I was surprised to see that Sarah Raven grows her la Diva outside, up canes

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747CS86i7uk&t=14s
                      I don't believe anything she says - everything is abundant , stunning and flowers for months on end!

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                      • #12
                        And because I had planned on moving cucumber spot nearer to my gh, which has loads of bees buzzing, guessing may need to consider cross pollination..

                        Originally posted by Scarlet View Post
                        I don't believe anything she says - everything is abundant , stunning and flowers for months on end!
                        argh, now I just watched that, thinking maybe I will be ok and they won't get cross pollinated lol...
                        Anything is possible with the right attitude, a hammer
                        and a roll of duct tape.

                        Weeds have mastered the art of survival, if they are not in your way, let them feed bees

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Scarlet View Post
                          I don't believe anything she says - everything is abundant , stunning and flowers for months on end!
                          Maybe its because she wears knitted twinsets and beads (she may not but that's how I "see" her!).

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            If you grow all-female cukes in the GH/PT and standard cukes outdoors you may be OK. That's what I do anyway but I'm not saying its right!!

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                              If you grow all-female cukes in the GH/PT and standard cukes outdoors you may be OK. That's what I do anyway but I'm not saying its right!!
                              This is what we did last year...La Diva (all female) in the greenhouse and Wautoma (male + female) outdoors about 15 metres away. The previous year they were grown next to each other in the greenhouse and we ended up with bitter fruit.

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