newbie growing cucumbers!

[kathrynpaws]

hello, i am very new to all this gardening milarkey but cannot contain my excitement when two days ago i discovered i had 5 teeny tiny shoots to soon grow into lettuces!
anyway, i brought 2 cucumber plants the other day - from a lady in a house in the countryside so have no idea the type they are! and also cannot find the house again!
i was quite chuffed because she gave me one free becuase she said it didnt look lke it would last long. i have repotted both and they are seemingly quite happy as they are both growing nicely, the 'poorly' one now has more leaves!
but...
1. types/flowers: i have noticed that some varieties have got to have the male flowers removed so the cucumbers do not taste bitter. eeek how do i know if mine are the type that i should do this with? should i maybe remove them from one, but not the other?

2. location: also, a friend told me that once they are a bit bigger to put them in the garden, (no greenhouse im afraid, just a conservatory - super hot in day but chilly at night) and to build a coldframe around them. another friend advised no coldframe just to plant them near a fence to climb up, and my mum said to leave in the conservatory in pots with a cane!

3: are they cucumbers? adding to all that i was given a courgette plant which looks and feels identical to the cucumber plants, i know they are in the same familiy but shoudl they reallly be that similar!

[Incy]

Do you have any pictures. I am also growing cucumbers for the first time and mine are doing well so far. If I or someone else more experienced at them could see your plants it might help confirming their identity. As for the rest I am trying 2 in the ground in the GH and 2 are in pots and will move outside if the weather permits.

[bustertom]

Hi Kathrynpaws,
I'm sure somebody with more knowledge will come along shortly, but from what I can remember from reading seed packets before I bought my cucumbers, the ones that need the male flowers removing are the very expensive ones - say 4 seeds for a fiver. I don't think she would have given one away if they had been those -even if it didn't look to good.

I think you could grow them in the garden is a sheltered sunny spot OK - as a kid we grew lots and lots outside without a greenhouse.

And finally at the moment my cucumbers are growing a lot slower than courgettes so that may help- the courgette leaves are also very big in comparison. It will be interesting to find out what you end up with.

Good luck.

[kathrynpaws]

Hi Kathrynpaws,
I'm sure somebody with more knowledge will come along shortly, but from what I can remember from reading seed packets before I bought my cucumbers, the ones that need the male flowers removing are the very expensive ones - say 4 seeds for a fiver. I don't think she would have given one away if they had been those -even if it didn't look to good.

I think you could grow them in the garden is a sheltered sunny spot OK - as a kid we grew lots and lots outside without a greenhouse.

And finally at the moment my cucumbers are growing a lot slower than courgettes so that may help- the courgette leaves are also very big in comparison. It will be interesting to find out what you end up with.

Good luck.

at the mo yes the courgette plant is bigger esp the leaves, although they felt so similar i thought i was being a bit silly! when i figure out how to, i will try to put up a photo! it makes sense though that the seller would not have given the plant away if it was a super pricey one! thanks! i keep watching them to see if they have grown more!

[SarzWix]

Cucumbers, squashes, courgettes and pumpkins are all very very similar... Makes labelling really important!
As the others have said, it is the greenhouse types which need male flowers taken off. Outdoor types don't. But.... I have no idea how you will know the difference if you don't know the variety name

As to where to grow them, that depends on the variety too! Greenhouse types might not be very happy outside, they'd be better in the conservatory with a bit of shading at the window to stop them scorching. If they're outdoor type, then they'd be happy growing up the fence, or trailing along the ground, whichever you prefer. Maybe try one out and one in? And take the male flowers off the indoor one, and leave them on the outdoor one? At least you should have a chance of some cucs that way!

[indigox]

On the whole I have noticed cucumber leaves are a little bit smaller and smoother than courgettes, and the stem grows out quite long when it first produces it's seed leaves.
They do look pretty similar though, it depends on the variety.