Recently picked my first cucumber..

[chris]

Tastes great, but the skin is SO bitter... is there any reason for this? It's pretty big - wider than ones you buy in the shops - has it been on the plant too long?

Also, I supported it upright in one of those cheapo greenhouses (frame with PVC cover on) - my squash is growing long too - are they better off trailing along the floor (I have major slugs aruond here) or am I doing the right hting by lifting them off the ground?

[Kristen]

My Cues get nibbled (in my Glass Greenhouse) if I leave them on the ground, whereas they don't I train them to climb

[Alison]

I've trained squashes plenty of times in the past, partially for the reasons you have given and also as it means that they take up less space. The only thing you need to be careful of is if the fruits get too big they can pull the whole thing down. Suppose it depends on the size of the squash, ie you couldn't do it with big pumpkins but it's find with butternut squashes etc.

Re the cuc, what variety are you growing? Some go bitter if the male flowers aren't removed but others need them left on. As you suspect, you are sometimes better picking them small but then again, most of the varieties we grow at home end up a bit of different shape the the supermarket ones. The ones I have on the go at the moment are quite short and fat, even when quite small.

[jennyj]

I have also grown cucumbers a variety called Marketmore. I started them off on a windowsill and then put them in one of the mini greenhouses. I grew 2 plants and they have been great. Started picking about 6 weeks ago and still going so this is a variety I would certainly recommend.

[Alice]

Chrismarks, just peel the cucumbers and get rid of the bitter skin.
And don't forget folks, there's a category for 2 cucumbers in the Showcase so take your pics and post them in the competition before you eat them all.

[chris]

Ooops, bit late for that!

Im not sure what variety - my wife just popped out one day and came back with a load of seedlings, which I started off in grow bags, until the local slug population got wind that our garden was a free for all feeding frenzy - but since then I've gotten the bug and have taken over most of the gardening (growing). That reminds me, I really need to cut my grass, its starting to look like my chives!