Cucumber Help please

[GrooveAmanda]

Well I've been happily cultivating my cucumber plans in my kitchen since February and they are beautiful. However I got confused with the advice about removing the male flowers, and have been removing flowers from Marketmore, a variety which I now realise needs pollination. My questions are:

Should I remove the female flowers that have dried out (and its fruit) ? Or can I attempt to hand pollinate these? And/Or do I leave them for a while to see if they grow? I have 1 fruit that seems to be growing whilst the rest (with dried flowers) all seem to have stayed the same size for ages!

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[roitelet]

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought it was the male flowers that needed to be removed to prevent polination and therefore bitter cucumbers.

The male flowers have just a straight stalk and the female ones have an embryo fruit behind the flower.

[SarzWix]

Leave the dried out flowers on the plant for now, they may just have been pollinated before you nipped the flowers off. If they look at all like they're going mouldy (the dried up female flowers that is) nip those off too.

[horticultural_hobbit]

boy flowers have to come off, apparently. There are also F1 Female varieties too.

Do you plan to move them outside? There are both indoor and outdoor varieties. Marketmore is an outdoor, I think, I have some of those. with being outside, Varieties other than F1 can be pollinated by insects. if the weather warms up, and the sunshine bring the bumblies out....

[chefgage]

Not all varieties of cucumber need the male flower removing. Outdoor varieties you leave the male flower on the plant.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Do not remove the male flowers from Marketmore they are an outdoor ridge cumber and require fertilisation.

Get rid of the dead stuff to prevent disease.

Potty

[GrooveAmanda]

Thank you very much for your help! I will leave them just now - attempt to rub a male plant on them - and as soon are they look like they aren't healthy I will remove them.

I thought I'd been doing so well - the plants are very healthy and beautiful. I think I'll have about 13 or 14 non-growers over 3 plants but see about 10 new females in the pipeline.

[Potstubsdustbins]

This may be an old wives tale but, try tapping the support canes as you walk past. The vibration is supposed to disturb the pollen and help with germination.

Potty

[GrooveAmanda]

I can definitely add cane taping to my routine!

[wizzbang]

I cant remember which type I have sown. They are still only babies and not even in their final growing pots or in the ground yet. What shall I do? Just let nature take its course? Ill have to have a rummage to see if I can find the packet but i'm not hopeful.
Grrrrrr i'll be glad when I'm not mid-move and my life stops being so topsy turvey!
Lynne x

[rustylady]

Wizzbang, you really need to start using labels

Amanda, whereabouts are you? Your cucumbers need to be put outside in their permanent quarters if it's warm enough.

[wizzbang]

I do don't I !!
I wonder if I did and its fallen off or something.
I am hoping to get myself a bit more organised within two weeks rusty. Just two more weeks until I will be back to the normal me.
Lynne x

[rustylady]

Here you go Lynne ASDA 10cm Plant Labels-50 pack | Grow Your Own | ASDA direct

[wizzbang]

I went to the greenhouse and checked. I did label them, it was hidden in the foliage. They are Marketmore.
Do I just leave them to do their own thing once I have put them in the pollywolly apart from tying them up and supporting them I mean.
Lynne x

[rustylady]

Link here for you Lynne Buy Marketmore Cucumber Seeds | Growing Cucumbers Outdoors

Marketmore are an outdoor cucumber really, and can be planted outside if the weather ever warms up.