Dragon's Egg Cucumber

[Potstubsdustbins]

Update. The largest plant is now over 6ft high. I left both the female and male flowers on and now have mini cumbers about the size of a good strawberry.

With a change in the weather forecast we may get there yet.

Colin

[cazp]

Update. The largest plant is now over 6ft high. I left both the female and male flowers on and now have mini cumbers about the size of a good strawberry.

With a change in the weather forecast we may get there yet.

Colin

Wow thats great! thanks for the update..

Mine are only about about 1.5 ft having had a slow start but in last week have really bushed out and are starting to vine up the canes in the greenhouse quite rapidly. There are plenty of flowers but as far as I can see just male ones at the moment. They look so healthy that I am stealing myself to expect some fruit at some point. Will post a pic at the weekend.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I was the same dozens of male flowers and no females, then suddenly in the last week lots of females. I have been tapping the canes as per toms to help with pollination but have know idea if this is necessary.

Colin

[cazp]

I think I will try the same once the female flowers appear. Are you giving your plants a feed with anything? I have been watering in some Tomorite at the same time as doing the tomatoes - not sure if thats the correct thing to do though.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I fed them Miracle Grow until they showed fruit then changed to Tomorite.

The one I let sprawl around the GH I have had to tie up, my GH is only an 8x6 and it was taking over.

Colin

[Potstubsdustbins]

This is what the fruit look like at this time. To give you an idea thats a 4" wide board.

Colin

[cazp]

Your plants look great, you'll soon be eating the fruit by the looks of it.

Heres the latest pic of mine. Some of the lower leaves are a bit mottled - I hope this isn't the start of problems. There is a new cluster of flower buds emerging on each plant which is bigger than previous clusters so I hope there are some fruiting buds amongst them.



I just hope the plants bear fruit before they outgrow the little greenhouse!

[Feral007]

Wonder if these were the cumbers my father used to grow? He used to grow the apple cucumbers which are the nicest imo. (not humble lol) And then some larger ones than the apple ones. Didn't have a name, but they did grow into a fattish oblong cucumber that went yellow if you left it long enough.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Well the change in the weather has really kicked things off. They have doulbed in size in 2/3 days.

Colin

[cazp]

At last... after masses of only male flowers I finally have two female flowers with fruit forming on one plant! the plants are currently about 60cm tall.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Good for you. They will need some serious feeding now, the growth rate is fantastic.

Colin

[cazp]

Thanks. I'm planning to do tomorite once per week with the tomatoes and I have been pinching out the sideshoots as the plants have been growing to stop them totally filling the little greenhouse.


Have you harvested your dragon's eggs yet? if so what did they taste like?

[binley100]

I've just goggled them , they could be on my to do list for next year so am waiting with breath baited to hear what they taste like...

[Potstubsdustbins]

No harvest yet I think they are about 1/2 size at this time.

Binners I to can hardly wait, I am led to believe they taste like honeydew melon.

Colin

[Potstubsdustbins]

OK so having read that they grow to about the size of a large egg, and then somewhere else that they grow to about 8" long I decided to harvest one to try.

What I did not want to happen was for the fruit to go over, or switch the plant off as I now have 10 more eggs of various sizes.

Results, the outer skin was thick and tough. Inside the fruit was full of juice and a lovey taste, certainly sweeter than a standard cumber.

I will allow the next one to mature to a larger size as I am of the opinion that this one was immature.

Colin