Cucumber Confusion

[jmcmillan]

I am both new to growing veg and also online forums. However I am keeping my fingers crossed I might get a bit of advice here. I am growing Telegraph Improved cucumbers and have 2 plants. I've never seen a cucumber plant before. I have some fruits coming but am spending time trying to search out the male flowers that it seems I should be pulling off.

My plants are about 6 leaves high and there are clumps of small tufts of yellow where each leaf stem emerges from the main stem (the same place the fruits are coming from). The tufts look a little like flowers but not like it shows in the books. I don't want them to develop into males for fear of them ruining the crop.Similarly I am worried that if I do pull them off I'll damage female flowers/ future fruits.

Also I don't seem to have any side shoots that all the literature seems to go on about.Everything seems to be coming from where the leaves branch out from the main stem.

And finally, one plant has small holes in its leaves and the other doesn't. No sign of any infestation either.Any ideas?

This may be too long a post for anyone to bother with but I would be very grateful of any advice

[Stacey]

I am in no way an expert but I would have thought you would need the male flowers for the female ones to "fruit" if that makes sense? but then I dont have the books and my cuc's (same variety) are only on the fourth leaves. xx

[Snadger]

Telegraph cucumbers need the male flowers removing. If the male pollinates the female the cucumbers will look as if they are developing normally, but will be bitter tasting and inedible.
Most of the newer varieties of cucumber (Marketmore for instance) DON'T need the male flowers removing!
The female flower has a very small embryonic, but noticeable, cucumber behind it and they are quite distinctive from the male flowers which are a stem with a flower only!

PS Check the seed packet for instructions!

[jmcmillan]

Yes the packet says remove them. I've figured out the female flowers.Are the male flowers the small yellow tufts at the base of the branching stems?

[momol]

Hi Jmcmillan,

The female flower is usually with an sort of mini cucumber like stem directly under it's flower, the male flower has only flower ( with out mini cucumber shape under it ), I have found an website which it has picture ( not foto ) of how the female and male flowers looks like. They don't look perfect but it gives you some idea how it looks like.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/e.../cucumber.html

Hope it help,
Momol

[momol]

Welcome to the vine...

[jmcmillan]

Thanks. I think I need to leave these wee tufts a bit to see what develops. I'm sure the presence of a male flower will become obvious.

[momol]

I went to look around at my hubby foto's collections ( he love taking pictures of my plants ) , yes we got one for you.
It is a pickling gherkin, but really, cucumber has the same/alike flower shape too but unlike gherkin cucumber usually has only single flower .
At the pictures you will see at the most right hand side is a gherkin ( fruit ), at the middle ( it is a small female gherkin flower ) and at the left hand side is the female gherkin flower which is about to bloom.

Cheers,
Momol

[jmcmillan]

Thanks for your help momol. This has given me some clarity.