Cucumber query?

[Lurch]

Hi,

Its the first time ive grown cucumbers, i have several plants currently about 8 inches high with stems about half the width of a pencil, so still quite small. But, they have started to flower, should i pick them off as the plants are still young? or leave them on? I have about 12 flowers buds on one plant, and think the weight of any fruit will snap the plant.

Thanks in advance.

[gojiberry]

Are your plants in their final growing place and are they well supported.Are all the flowers male or female or a mix. Plants will sometime flower early when they are stressed. I would leave the flowers on and see what happens. It may be that the flowers are male in which case you don't have to worry about fruit developing. If the fruit developes and get to weightly for the plant then you can cut it off and use it as a baby cucumber.

Ian

[SarzWix]

It is possible that the plant is stressed - needing a bigger pot maybe? Or it could be that it's just a prolific or early fruiter. What variety are they?
If they're to go in your greenhouse, and it's still too cold to plant them out there, then I would put them into a bigger pot along with a flower stick or similar, so that they can be supported until you can get them in their final placing.
Picking some, or all, of the flowers off is ok too, if you think it's not ready to fruit yet.

[Lurch]

Hi again,

The cucumbers are grown from seed from a wilko packet. Marketmore 76: popular high yielding outdoor variety with disease tolerance. I have no idea if they are male or female plants, can you advise how i can tell please? Also there are at least 12 more flowers to open still in the bud on the plant.
The plants are currently on my windowsill in the utility room, in direct sunlight. I will put them into a large tub and see what happens. Hope this further info helps.

[SarzWix]

Aaah, Marketmore will produce male and female flowers, because it needs both. So quite a few of your flowers will be male I think - they're the same 'family' as squash and pumpkins and these usually produce quite a lot of male flowers before the female ones start properly. I'm sure they'll be fine Just remember to protect them from frost/low temperatures

[Lurch]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...1&d=1241441156

[SarzWix]

The ones with an eeny weeny cucumber behind the flower are female, the ones without are male
From what I've read, I think Marketmore are quite a vigorous/early fruiting variety. I'm sure they'll be just fine if you pot them up when the roots are showing at the bottom of the pot, until it's warm enough to plant them outside.

[Lurch]

thankyou v much, will repot as wait and see.