Cucumber performance in hot climate

[Johan]

I have planted three varieties of open pollinated cucumbers.
I have planted two plants of each in a 25 liter container and the planting mix is 1 soil + 1 compost + 1 manure. In our hot climate this mix is keeping the moisture very well and the plant grow well, withou any sign of wilting.
I have sprayed with baking soda to keep powdery mildew away.
The reason I have planted two plants per container is to save seeds on the left side and let the right side bear for the kitchen.

I have planted Kyoto, Tanja and Telegraph Improved.

Kyoto outperformed the other two by far and double the Telegraph.
On Kyoto the first cuke is finger size and on Tanja in flower stage. On Telegraph you can distinguish the female flowers.
I am staking the plants and let them grow vertically and I let side shoots grow until the firt leave. There is a cuke on all side shoots there. So more cukes on the plant. I am spraying weekly with baking soda for powdery mildwe and it really work. I add half a teaspoon per liter of water.

In the warm climate (40C / 104 F is not uncommon) I have to treat now for enough calcium and magnesium to prevent flowers from dropping or fruit abortions. None so far.

[Johan]

Here is a few pics of Kyoto, a Japanese heirloom variety:

The fruit is well defined if grown vertical. No bending or insect damage.


Plenty of fruit on the plant. At some internodes thaere are two fruits. On the left jou can see there is a fruit on a side shoot, at the first internode, Right top, on the second internode. So you can have plenty of fruit on a plant.


In this image you can see that the side shoot, 1 internode lower than the big cuke has a fruit on the first internode (growing towards the back). The side shoot growing one internode higher (grow towards the right) also have a fruit on the first internode.

These side shoots will later on be pulled straight down by the weight of the fruit, so side shoots lower that 2 feet should not be allowed.

No matter what other growers say. I do it this way. If you can keep the soil moist and no shortage of calcium, you will have a lot of fruits on each plant. Pollination is a requirement, but I do it by hand. These cucumber plants always attract visitors to my garden. The main stem I do not stop when it approaches the roof of mu shadehouse but I grow it sideways for a foot and then downwards. So my plants get about 3.6 meters long.

This season is the first season that I have managed to get rid of powdery mildew, by spraying baking soda. My only concern now id fruit flies but I am settin g up traps now, filled with apple cider vinegar.