Cucumbers, What are you growing

[shelleybean]

When it gets really, really hot out, I think you need to water just about any cucumber variety twice a day, whether it look thirsty or not. The stem end of the fruit can become really bitter in the heat. I'm trying to keep mine mulched better this year. I made a batch of pickles last year and one bite would taste great and the next would be so bitter, even overpowering strong flavors like vinegar and garlic. I wish I could get a soaker hose over to that part of the yard. That would be ideal.

I have several Snow's Fancy Pickling plants again this year, my fave variety. I also have some Suyo Long growing. They female flowers just started blooming today. I bought some cukes at the farm stand this afternoon but I hope that was time I'll have to buy any cucumbers for a while.

[duajones]

Michele, I agree with you completely on the watering issue. In ground, a deep soaking with a soaker hose goes a long ways if you water deep enough. In a small container like I am using, anything less than twice a day would result in a total loss. I wouldnt normally attempt growing cukes at this time of year in anything less than a 5 gal. container depending on how many plants you are growing. My PK container is 2 to 2.5 gal at best, thus the twice daily watering. In ground plants I can get away with every 3 days or so with a good soaking.

[duajones]

Poona Kheera is a tough cookie. Harvested 29 cukes as of this morning from just 3 plants. I also have a pickling variety that is in a much larger container, same growing medium, same watering schedule, and it is doing nothing. Gave some PK to my neighbor yesterday and he was surprised that the cukes were still producing in this weather. His experience has been that they wont do much this time of year.

[kelleyville]

I am having to water twice a day! I did not realize how thirsty a Diva would be, but then I did not realize one Diva would need it's own five foot section of fence either! Diva grew to humongous size then started making cucumbers. Sweet Success started putting out cukes as soon as it was a foot tall and kept growing but seems the first three cukes sucked the life out of the next three. My fault I did not realize how much energy the first three cukes were taking! They get watered twice a day now weather I think they need it or not!

I think I need to try Poona Kheera I have heard so much about it!

I thought all cukes loved the heat and sun, however what I see is that the cukes are now growing better in the shade- they climbed over the lattice and seem happier on the other side inside the carport rather than outside it

I have also noticed that both Sweet Success and Diva don't seem to get any bugs what so ever! I still h ave not seen the first cool breezes! Have two other varieties that just do not want to grow either. Not sure whats up with them, may wait until August and reseed.

Kelley

[tumbleweed]

this season I have Sweet Success, Lemon and Tasty Jade. The Sweet Success is mavelous in taste and production, no bug problems. Lemon has great taste, but not very productive, and a bit on the small side. Tasty jade is a dissappointment, low production, leaves are being ravaged by something.

all cukes in raised beds, same soil recipe, and supported on 6X6 trellis, six plants per trellis. water only once per day (mornings).

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by kelleyville

I am having to water twice a day! I did not realize how thirsty a Diva would be

Being a Diva is thirsty work. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[kelleyville]

hehehe cute!
No apology necessary!

I have picked a total of 4 sweet success, and it seems that wherever there are two growing that is all the plant can handle...other babies just shrivel and die...but these are the best cucumbers I have had in ages!

Diva, I have picked six of them off this monster vine, and more are coming along nicely, but for the amount of space it takes I am not impressed. Possibly grown somewhere else it tastes good, my friend loves it, I found it somewhat bland and soft. I keep picking them different sizes to see if that makes a difference! They end up making tasty fresh pickles....since I still have seeds I will probably keep planting it just to see if it tastes better grown in different conditions But the name is correct because it takes over wherever you plant it! It is now running along the ground and crowding the beans!


Kelley

[DeanRIowa]

This is my first year of growing Poona Kheeras, they have been producing for a little over a week and I have gotten approximately 7 cucumbers with about 4 more on the vines. I have been watering them daily in the mornings and they only get 1/2 sun. My current temperatures are high 80s to 90s with high humidity.

Poona Kheera are a very good tasting cucumber, medium sized, and the best of all, burpless. One other benefit is that the cucumbers are a yellow to light brown color when they are ready to pick, this is a benefit for me, because I have them planted on a chain link fence facing an alley, so because of their color none of my cucumbers have come up missing this year.

Thanks to those of you who have recommended this cucumber. I will be planting Poona Kheera next year once again.

Dean

[duajones]

PK performed extremely well for me this summer, 36 or so fruit from just 3 plants. Pulled it yesterday as it was looking pretty bad. Sowed Boothbys Blonde this morning, in a container in partial shade just to see how it fairs.

[shelleybean]

In the past I've had to water twice a day when it's really hot. This year I really mulched well with wheat straw around the base of the plants. Mine are about eight inches apart on six foot tall tomato cages. So far, so good. No bitterness yet. No hollow cukes yet. No wilting yet. It's supposed to reach 100 degrees today so we'll see how it goes.

[montanamato]

Michele....I am growing Snow's Fancy Pickling for the first time, along with Suyo Long and a couple hybrids from the nursery...
The Snow's are beautiful and fat, but too bitter for consumption...The hybrids all taste fine...I have kept them wet, and yesterday was our first really hot day...
I have had good luck with NC White Pickling heirloom cukes from Sand Hill in the past too.
I would love to find an OP pickler (besides Poona Kheera) that does not get bitter so easily...
Eureka is my all time fav hybrid for growing in heat or cold, and I may go back to them next year...
I am getting multitudes of slender zukes and usually make bread and butter pickles out of those when the weather heats up...
My Suyo longs are not ready yet either...Let me know what you think of them ...

Jeanne

[shelleybean]

Jeanne, we must have the same taste in cukes! I grew Eurkeka for several years before I went back to OP's. So far my Snow's have no bitterness at all and I chalk that up to the mulch, really. We also had a cooler than usual spring and less humidity than normal until the last few weeks. Snow's is still my favorite. I've made three gallons of pickles so far and have used tons for salads and crudite. I'm sorry yours have turned out bitter early in the season.

Suyo Long...I've had them from Martha/Gardenmama's garden and my friend, Kristen's garden and theirs were much better than mine. I've had three so far and they are seedy with tough skin. Also not very productive. So I think this is my first and last try with those. My friend, Kristen, had the same complaints this season though, so maybe it's weather related. In the past, the skin was very thin and seeds were small. The size and shape were pretty uniform along the length of the fruit. This year, we both have them shaped like crookneck squash, with a sort of bulb at one end. Luckily I don't have too many of them though! I feel obligated to at least try them, ya know?

[montanamato]

That is interesting as Eureka is not a very common cuke in this neck of the woods...

I was looking at a variety called Wautoma this afternoon on the net....Anyone have experience with this one?

I also tried some Armenian style cules(melons) from Seeds from Italy, but they did not transplant well and I can't tell if I have any survivors yet, as I didn't label my cukes...

Jeanne

[shelleybean]

For a long time, I could only get Eureka from Territorial or Stokes, but then a few other catalogs started to carry it.

[Earl]

My hay bale row. Socrates to left, one plant [slicer], Little Leaf H-19 to right about 10 plants [pickler]. I'm pleased so far with the row cover. Never had cuke plants last this long before the cuke beetles did them in. I think I may get an over abundance of fruit if I can keep the plants healthy. I'll never grow cukes, beans, collards, chard, etc. again without using row cover.