Sakamari F1 Cucumber

[Jonnyt]

I picked up 6 of these from Waitrose in a pot for £1.50 the other day as my Wautoma have refused to germinate.

However I'm unable to find if these are all female and thus require any male flowers removing. If they are can they be in the same greenhouse as Marketmore?


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[Kristen]

Hmmm ... didn't have much luck Googling for that ...

best I found was this:

https://www.theheirloomseedstore.com...brido-f-1.html

"Heirloom Cucumber "Sakamari Ibrido F.1" Mid-Early Japanese Variety This variety produces dark green cylindrical fruits with very few spines and an intense flavor. Vigorous plant with tightly packed leaves. Resistant to cracking. Open air cross pollinated hybrid. "

What's with the "F.1" do you suppose? I presume that means "F1" ... but it says it is open-air-cross-pollinated, and is sold by The Heirloom Seedstore ... that's a new one on me

Either way, looks more like an outdoor ridge cucumber than a long-straight-greenhouse one to me. Franchi seed packets often don't have much in the way of detailed info on them though ... usually loads of seeds inside instead



Photo of the back of the packet would be nice

[Uplandlady]

As I am new to this gardening lark please forgive me for asking what may be a stupid question. What is meant by female and male cucumber plants ? is it clear on seed packets what you are buying? Do both produce cucumbers?? Confused !!

[veggiechicken]

Most cucumber plants produce male and female flowers and, with some varieties, you need to remove the male flowers to prevent pollination of the female flowers - otherwise the cucumbers will be bitter. Check the packet first!!
F1 cucumbers have been bred to produce female flowers only - so you don't have to be so vigilant. The seeds usually cost a lot, lot more!!

[Alison]

Hmmm ... didn't have much luck Googling for that ...

best I found was this:

https://www.theheirloomseedstore.com...brido-f-1.html

"Heirloom Cucumber "Sakamari Ibrido F.1" Mid-Early Japanese Variety This variety produces dark green cylindrical fruits with very few spines and an intense flavor. Vigorous plant with tightly packed leaves. Resistant to cracking. Open air cross pollinated hybrid. "

What's with the "F.1" do you suppose? I presume that means "F1" ... but it says it is open-air-cross-pollinated, and is sold by The Heirloom Seedstore ... that's a new one on me

Either way, looks more like an outdoor ridge cucumber than a long-straight-greenhouse one to me. Franchi seed packets often don't have much in the way of detailed info on them though ... usually loads of seeds inside instead



Photo of the back of the packet would be nice

Am pretty sure a seed can't be heirloom AND F1, very strange.


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[Alison]

Most cucumber plants produce male and female flowers and you need to remove the male flowers to prevent pollination of the female flowers - otherwise the cucumbers will be bitter.
F1 cucumbers have been bred to produce female flowers only - so you don't have to be so vigilant. The seeds usually cost a lot, lot more!!

Depends on the variety, my Crystal Lemon for example should have male and female flowers left on. Am pretty sure Marketmore are the same.

[Uplandlady]

Many thanks veggiechicken, do male/ female flowers look different?

[rustylady]

Yes Uplandlady, female flowers have a tiny cucumber behind them, and the males just have a thin stalk.

[Alison]

Many thanks veggiechicken, do male/ female flowers look different?

Please check that you do need to remove the male flowers from your variety, some don't produce male flowers at all, some need them 100% removed and some need them to be left on. It really is important you get it right for the variety you are growing.


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[Thelma Sanders]

I've grown Sakamari cues and they need their male flowers for pollination, so don't pick them off!

Mine were planted outside in a warm spot in the garden

[Kristen]

Most cucumber plants produce male and female flowers and you need to remove the male flowers to prevent pollination of the female flowers - otherwise the cucumbers will be bitter.

For Indoor ones VC? These look like Outdoor, Ridge, cucumbers to me - and thus need the male flowers left on (as the females need to be pollinated to set). The packet should say for sure, but clearly the packet the O/P got appears to be useless in that regard

Am pretty sure a seed can't be heirloom AND F1, very strange.

My thought too. Never come across "open-air-cross-pollinated" as an F1 before. My only thought is that if both parents are self-sterile then it is only whatever cross-pollinates that will set seed. That would be a cool trick, in terms of the cost of producing an F1, but I'm doubting its the case ... but ... the alternative is surely that only SOME of the offspring will be from cross-pollination, and the rest will be from self-pollination, so only some plants are going to have the desired characteristics - at which point my head explodes contemplating it!!

[veggiechicken]

As I am new to this gardening lark please forgive me for asking what may be a stupid question. What is meant by female and male cucumber plants ? is it clear on seed packets what you are buying? Do both produce cucumbers?? Confused !!

Most cucumber plants produce male and female flowers and you need to remove the male flowers to prevent pollination of the female flowers - otherwise the cucumbers will be bitter.
F1 cucumbers have been bred to produce female flowers only - so you don't have to be so vigilant. The seeds usually cost a lot, lot more!!

For Indoor ones VC? These look like Outdoor, Ridge, cucumbers to me - and thus need the male flowers left on (as the females need to be pollinated to set). The packet should say for sure, but clearly the packet the O/P got appears to be useless in that regard

I was replying to Uplandlady, Kristen, not the OP, but my reply didn't cover all varieties - sorry for not being more specific

[Kristen]

sorry for not being more specific

Shocking!

I'll read the thread more carefully in future