Forum home› Problem solving

cucumber problem

cavescountrycavescountry Posts: 3
in Problem solving

Hello all, I would like some help on my cucumber problem I have in My Greenhouse I have 3 nearly ready to pick cues at the base of my plant but the next lot that have set fruit are turning yellow and then die off then some above are doing ok. Can some one please tell me why.I had this happen last year and I lost nearly every one that set.

Many thanks

Pete

Posts

  • UnknownUnknown

    I'm pretty sure this will be the result of poor pollination. Try misting on warm days to increase humidity.

  • kiwiflyerkiwiflyer Posts: 19

    I have 4 plants of Marketmore76 cucumbers growing in a plastic greenhouse.

    I have searched all over the place to find the correct way to proceed regarding pollination.

    I am not sure if these this variety needs the male flowers to be taken off, as some people say that leaving them on, the cucumbers will be bitter to eat.

    Other people say that Marketmore76 is actually an outdoor variety which needs to be pollinated so both flowers, male and female should be left on.

    I'm sure that more experienced gardeners in this forum can help me out on this problem.

    Thank you.

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,665

    I grow marketmore and the flowers do need pollinating, last year I grew one plant in the greenhouse which produced lovely fruit and I used to hand pollinate them this year I am growing them outside and leaving them to their own devices, so far I haven't had any fruit off of them.

  • kiwiflyerkiwiflyer Posts: 19

    Thanks Barry,

    I have lots of fruits already forming but have been taking out the male flowers,

    So I suppose the bees have been able to pollinate some of them.

    So to pollinator them myself, in case the bees cannot get in, is it just a matter of using a small brush from one to the other?

    Thanks.

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,665

    I just pinch off a male flower remove the petals and place it into the female flower one male can be used for two or three female flowers, the plants seem to start off with loads of male flowers then the females arrive and the males decrease but there are usually enough of each to keep production up, obviously the idea is to produce good strong fruit and not dozens of inferior ones so remove a few tiny fruitlets to encourage the others to grow on to a usable size.

  • kiwiflyerkiwiflyer Posts: 19

    Great advice Barry.

    It's the first time I have tried Cucumbers, in fact the very first time I have used a greenhouse.

    So now I can improve my skills and my Cucumbers with your advice.

    Barry Island brings back many happy memories, We used the get taken there to the seaside once a year with the chapel outings.image

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,665

    Don't forget that marketmore are ridge cucumbers not the long greenhouse type so you eat them when they are about 5 inches long not forgetting to remove the skin first, if you allow them to get too big they lose their lovely fresh taste.

  • kiwiflyerkiwiflyer Posts: 19

    If the small cucumbers have started to form after the flower, does that mean that the fruit is already fertilized?

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,665

    As long as it is growing and looking healthy then yes.

Sign In or Register to comment.