Cucumbers...male flowers...how long?

[Crosbie]

6 "Straight Eight" cucumber plants - squillions of male flowers for last 3 weeks...and just a 1" cucumber on a real straggler.

How long do I have to wait? Is this normal?

Cheers
Crosbie

[lacysue2]

as long as it takes.
patients is virtue

[chilliking]

same issue here with both my courgettes & cucumber.

it'll be worth the weight!

[StephenH]

Same problem on my courgette, pumpkin and squash plants (the last two named courtesy of the mag, in a giveaway a few months ago, but I'm growing a different variety of courgette). Plenty of flowers, but all male. I've read that members of the gourd family tend to do this - produce nothing but male flowers at first, female ones appearing later - though I don't think it happened to my 'All Green Bush' courgettes last year. Oh well - We'll just have to wait.

[vegetable-gardener]

Usually when the courgette or cucumbers start flowering the just produce male flowers - female flowers tend to take a bit longer. Just like real life!!

[reetnproper]

My pet theory on this is that it is the job of the male flowers to let all those lovely pollinators know that the parent plant is now flowering, so when the females start to appear, all the relevant insects have been 'invited to the party' , so to speak .

Reet
x

[Crosbie]

Well, I've seen only one bee...and I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to do something drastic - might give them a glass of tomorite...sort of gin & tonic for plants...to get them all loosened up and in the mood...