pollinating cuke flowers

tnkrer · June 18, 2013

to do or not to do for first 11 days ..

Today the first female flower flowered on one of the cuke plants. I immediately hand pollinated it.

Then later searching on the interwebs, I found this site -> Crop pollination by bees where the authors claim if the first few female flowers are not allowed to be pollinated (for 11 days after first female flower shows up) it allows the root system to grow better and the total yield will be better. In my case, it is an SWC with Raybo's 3-2-1 mix. The plant has 10 big leaves. (and 10 smaller growing leaves) Its been planted out for 4 weeks. Its about 2 ft tall. So does this really give me any real advantage. I would obviously prefer to not wait (I am eagerly waiting for my first fresh cuke) and on this one plant I have already pollinated the flower anyway.

Whats the CW on the holding off on pollination for containerized cuckes?

June 18, 2013	#1
tnkrer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: MA 6a/b Posts: 352	pollinating cuke flowers to do or not to do for first 11 days .. Today the first female flower flowered on one of the cuke plants. I immediately hand pollinated it. Then later searching on the interwebs, I found this site -> Crop pollination by bees where the authors claim if the first few female flowers are not allowed to be pollinated (for 11 days after first female flower shows up) it allows the root system to grow better and the total yield will be better. In my case, it is an SWC with Raybo's 3-2-1 mix. The plant has 10 big leaves. (and 10 smaller growing leaves) Its been planted out for 4 weeks. Its about 2 ft tall. So does this really give me any real advantage. I would obviously prefer to not wait (I am eagerly waiting for my first fresh cuke) and on this one plant I have already pollinated the flower anyway. Whats the CW on the holding off on pollination for containerized cuckes?