Dragon's Egg Cucumber

[cazp]

Please can anyone share any experience of growing Dragon's egg cucumber?

I am sowing a couple this weekend with the hope of transferring these outdoors after risk of frost has past in a north square of my SFG raised bed, and training up a trellis. The bed is in a south facing and sheleted spot.

There isnt much to read about growing these in the UK outdoors on the net, so am really not sure what to expect.... any advice appreciated.

[Matt94]

hmm ive seen them on an auction site before and thought about buying them - i still might, they look very interesting.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am growing these for the first time this year. As I understand it they are an indoor plant, but not sure if they can be grown outdoors.

Germination was very quick, i.e. set in three inch pots on the 02/04 indoors, germination today 06/04. If I had know that I would have held of a couple of weeks.

Colin

[cazp]

Thanks for the advice Colin. The packet doesn't say a lot but does suggest perhaps indoors... Instructions say "grow up trellising or preferably allow these cucumbers to sprawl along the floor of the greenhouse or coldframe".

I am determined to give these a go but may have to rethink my method - the only "Indoor" option I have is one of those 5ft plastic greenhouses perhaps I could let it travel around that.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have read that they should be grown the same as any other cumber. I shall have at least two plants one of which will be grown up a cane and then along the roof of the green house. The second I will let sprawl to see if there is a difference. We will have to compare notes to see how we go.

Colin

[cazp]

Any idea how big the plants get? I have never grown any kind of cucumber before..

[Potstubsdustbins]

As said I have never grown Dragons Egg before. It is supposed to taste like honeydew melon and I fail at melons so giving it a go.

My Normal cumber Baribal goes up a 6ft cane and then along a string in the roof of the GH in a good year it will be about 12ft long in total.

Colin

[cazp]

... regarding size of these plants, I rang the place where I got the seeds, and was advised you could fit 9 of these plants in an 8x6 greenhouse. I will be attempting to make my plant climb inside a 2mtr high mini greenhouse...so will see what happens!

[cazp]

Planted out my Dragons Egg cucumber plants in a large tub in the bottom of a tall plastic greenhouse alast weekend. There is 6ft of vertical space available for them to climb.

They are currently about 5inches tall and one of them has a couple of tiny pointed yellow flower buds (?) emerging - I wonder if this is the start of fruit?

[cazp]

... here are some pics of on of the Dragon Egg plants today. Both plants have a mass of little flowers now.



It's hard to tell whether they are male or female flowers at this stage as they are so small. They're lovely little plants.

[GardenFaery]

Why are they called 'Dragon's Egg'?

[cazp]

Hi. The cucumber fruits are pale and smooth resembling large eggs. They are supposed to be non-bitter and taste a bit like honeydew melon. This link of the site where I got the seeds shows a picture..

Dragon's Egg Cucumber (Seeds)

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am a little futher on than you but I have to say how nice your plants look.

You point about male/female flowers was something I had forgotten about as my normal cumbers are all female.

I will see what I can found out about whether we should remove the male flowers.

Colin

[cazp]

Hi Colin

Thank you, yes I am pleased with progress so far. They are in a nice large tub and I think the plastic greenhouse set up might actually work - they seem happy in there.

Whether to remove the male flowers was going to be my next question - I did read somewhere that if the male flowers polinate the female it could make cucumbers bitter.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Don't take this as gospel but so far it looks to be that the female flower should be pollinated.

Will look into it further and get back to you.

Colin