gherkins - oh, ALL advice needed

[queen of the cobs]

Hi,

Am growing gherkins, I think they may be Vento, and have them in 12" pots in the greenhouse - I have 2 plants so thought I would keep one in the greenhouse and risk putting one out on the plot.

At present both are starting to flower and I guess I should feed them, perhaps with Tomorite which seems to be good for everything?!

I've also got them supported with canes and they are starting to tendril rather nicely around the cane, perhaps I should leave the one on the plot to sprawl?

Are they like cucumbers in that I should water them as much as possible? Gherkins aren't quite as 'watery' as cucumbers really, so I guess they wouldn't need to be watered as much?

Very grateful for all advice as these are the things I want to suceed the most.

[kernowyon]

I guess I should feed them, perhaps with Tomorite which seems to be good for everything?!

Are they like cucumbers in that I should water them as much as possible? Gherkins aren't quite as 'watery' as cucumbers really, so I guess they wouldn't need to be watered as much?

you need to treat gherkins exactly the same as cucumbers, i feed them regularly with tomorite, but not sure about planting them outside though. the best results we have is from plants grown in grobags in the greenhouse, they do suffer if exposed to strong wind or cold/heavy rain even when you think they have established outside.

they do get a bit rampant and i grow them up string tied to the greenhouse roof, but they dont take long to reach the top, I tie a lenght of wire along near the ridge of the roof and cover it with pipe lagging then just let the gherkin plants loop over this and back down to the floor. you end up with enough gerkins to pickle for the rest of the year. just eaten the last jar of last years crop.

grow dill if you plan to pickle them (just doesn't taste right without it) and keep picking without letting them get too big, store them in a plastic bag with a sprinkling of water in it and keep refrigerated for a couple of days while waiting for enough to pickle

[queen of the cobs]

thanks so much - this makes me feel a lot more confident.

[Earthbabe]

Thanks from me too kernowyon. I'm planting mine out this week hopefully. (Trying to clear space for the small but bouncy group of children that will descend on us on friday after school ).

I know they grow well in a sunny sheltered spot as my folks grew them every year when they had the house in France. My mum unfortunately used to let them get rather large before pickling. Much better small - just one bite or even better small enough to pop the whole thing in in one. The french often put silverskin onion in with theirs.