ridge cucumbers.

[brownfingers]

I've tried growing f1 greenhouse cukes from seed in the past with little success. When I saw some marketmore ridge cuke seed going cheap (as cuke seed go), I thought I'll give them a go, thinking they may be easier to grow, as they must be hardier. They were up in no time and look like really strong seedlings. Do we care for them in the same way as f1's? There is hardly any info on the packet. Do we need to keep the stems dry? How long before potting up....... they are growing like wildfire. When potting up, do we bury the stem deep in the same manner as tommies? I understand we don't take the male flowers off either?

thanks in advance.

[Kristen]

Do we care for them in the same way as f1's?

Cucumber is cucumber is pretty much cucumber in that regard.

Do we need to keep the stems dry?

Yup. Best to stand the pot in a bowl of water for a few minutes, to let the soil suck up water, rather than water from above. Once it is in a decent sized plant, in a large pot, I've never found stem rot a problem, only at the "youngster" stage.

How long before potting up.......

I would prick out immediately (if you have several seedlings growing together), if they are one-per-pot then pot-on when the pot fills with roots. Put a small cane in at that time, avoiding the roots. I would suggest a 12"-ish split-cane at the 9cm pot stage, and 24"-ish when you pot-on to 1L / 5"

When potting up, do we bury the stem deep in the same manner as tommies?

No, best not as stem rot is such a problem with Cucumbers. Its OK to bury the plant up to its seed leaves, but no more - and I sometimes dither on whether I will even do that ...

I understand we don't take the male flowers off either?

Yup. Ridge cucumbers need to be pollinated. Its very confusing though as there are some outdoor cucumbers that should not be pollinated (but very few) and some indoor ones that should (very few of them too), so in the absence of some info on the packet, or known about that variety, then Outdoor Ridge Cucumbers need pollinating and Indoor Greenhouse ones need the male flowers removing (F1 varieties available that produce no male flowers [although even they may produce some when "stressed"])

[brownfingers]

Thanks for that K.

[brownfingers]

The seedlings are holding up well, and there is a glimmer of the first true leaves. However, a couple of them have started to turn up at the edges (seed leaves). Unlike toms, do they require any feed at this stage?

[Smithyboy100]

My marketmore seeds are up and about 2 inches now


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[Alison]

You shouldn't need to be feeding that soon, if they've not even got their first true leaves then food won't be a problem.

[Smithyboy100]

When do you need to start feeding them and what feed? Sorry for soundind dumb but im a complete novice to this gardening world 😜


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[Kristen]

So long as you are needing to pot-on, to a slightly bigger pot (another 1.5" to 2" more diameter each time) every few weeks, as the pot fills with roots, then the additional new compost in the larger pot will provide pretty much all the food the plant needs.

Other than that you could use a liquid feed, like Miracle Gro, and use it at half strength on the young plants - but probably best not to use it when they are still small seedlings. Once they are carrying fruit them move to using a high Potash fertiliser (which favours fruiting plants), typically they are sold as "Tomato Fertilisers". Fertiliser has an NPK ratio printed on the container, Potash is the "K" so basically the 3rd number should be about double the N number, and the middle number either the same as the N or somewhat less.

Probably the most well know (and in my opinion "overpriced") brand is Tomorite which has an NPK of 4:3:8

[Smithyboy100]

Wow great thanks


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[messygarden]

Great info here; can i ask what varieties are for outdoor and is it worth trying them? Grown f1 in the greenhouse with little success.

[brownfingers]

The ones I'm doing are "marketmore". It's the first time I've grown outdoor cukes, so I can't really tellk you much.

[CurlyGreen]

I've grown Marketmore a few times and had success treating them just as Kristen said. Definately leave flowers on. Usually lost a few young uns to stem rot but I'm mostly managing to water from underneath so fingers crossed it will be better this year.

I'm trying Burpless Green for a change. Nothing wrong with Marketmore, may go back to it but it's good to try new things.

[Bill HH]

Last year I grew burpless in the GH and had a fantastic crop. I got very confused as to whether I should be removing the male flowers, so I religiously removed them, was I wasting my time?

[Kristen]

Last year I grew burpless in the GH and had a fantastic crop. I got very confused as to whether I should be removing the male flowers, so I religiously removed them, was I wasting my time?

Hmmm ... I think of Burpless as being an outdoor Ridge type, and as such it won't produce ANY fruits unless it is pollinated ... clearly not the case in your case (or it was cross pollinated from some other Squash nearby, but I doubt that would have been enough to give you "a fantastic crop"

Secondly, I think of Burpless as having no/less of whatever makes Cucumbers "bitter", so removing Male flowers to avoid bitterness shouldn't be an issue either.

Either way, total mystery to me!

Did they look like Ridge cucumbers (i.e. some knobbly bits on the skin)? If not then maybe they were something different. Do you remember the exact variety name?

[Bill HH]

Hmmm ... I think of Burpless as being an outdoor Ridge type, and as such it won't produce ANY fruits unless it is pollinated ... clearly not the case in your case (or it was cross pollinated from some other Squash nearby, but I doubt that would have been enough to give you "a fantastic crop"

Secondly, I think of Burpless as having no/less of whatever makes Cucumbers "bitter", so removing Male flowers to avoid bitterness shouldn't be an issue either.

Either way, total mystery to me!

Did they look like Ridge cucumbers (i.e. some knobbly bits on the skin)? If not then maybe they were something different. Do you remember the exact variety name?

They were just called burpless I think, they did have tiny spikes when small but these grew out, I had three plants and became embarrassed with the quantity, gave lots away. So this year I wont pinch off the male flowers. That's one less job to do. I do remember it said the were ok for indoors or outdoors. They were hanging down like the hanging gardens of Babylon. Decent size too.