Question time - Cucumbers and Rhubarb

[MissyMoo]

Ok....I'm trying not to be excited but I have cucumbers!!! Well I think so. I've been told they may be male ones and so rather bitter but all info I've found says that they are female ones. I wouldn't know one from the other as this is my first attempt at cucumbers. Pictures are attached.

Also I'm a little concerned at my Rhubarb. It's growing well but the stems are mostly green. For a Glaskins Perpetual this is odd as I understand they are supposed to be bright red. I bought the crown of Ebay earlier this year as a 2yr old plant.
Could it's youth (or something else) be why it's green or is it possible i've been sold a different variety? And can I eat it anyway?????

[urban-gardener]

As far as your cucumners go - it is indeed a female cucumber. Male flowers on the cucumber plant do not produce fruit but if a bee flies into one and then pollenates a female flower then the female fruit will be bitter. If you have a plant with male and female flowers on (you can get F1 hybrids that are female only now) then you should remove the male flowers as they appear to prevent pollenation. You can easily tell the difference because a male flower will not have a little cucumber behind it - it will just have a thin stalk.

[MissyMoo]

Actually that makes a lot more sense now....dunno why it didn't click before. I guess my brain was on holiday!

I'm growing the Burpless Tasty Green F1 Hybrid variety and I've just checked the Thompson & Morgan website and they say to leave the male flowers on this one. Looks like it's all fine and dandy and I can go back to being stupidly excited about having baby cucumbers!! Thanks for your help urban gardener.
One problem solved....one to go!

[Lesley Jay]

As for your rhubarb - yes, you can eat it but not the leaves! If you look at the photo the base of the stalks are red so maybe next year when the crown is established you will get proper red stalks. There again though there is always the possibility that you were sold the wrong variety. Wait until next year and you will know for definate if you get red stalks it is Glaskins Perpetual.