When to harvest cucumbers for seeds

DeanRIowa · July 12, 2008

I want to save seeds from Poona Kheera cucumber plants I have been growing.

Some seed saving sites says to allow the cucumbers to overripen for up to 5 weeks.

Can I pick a normal ripe cucumbers and allow the to ripen off of the vine, because if I overripen them on the vine won't that cause my plant to produce less?

thanks,
Dean

Medbury Gardens · July 13, 2008

They need to stay on the plant to over ripen, you really want to fully devolope the seed first,can`t do that if its off the plant.

If you are talking about only one cucumber for seed that wont have to much affect on yeild.

You may already know this Dean but to maintain diversity you need about 20 plants or more at least every third generation to avoid inbreeding.

phreddy · August 14, 2008

Here in BG, they say take a yellow cue for seed.

July 12, 2008	#1
DeanRIowa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 5a - NE Iowa Posts: 416	When to harvest cucumbers for seeds I want to save seeds from Poona Kheera cucumber plants I have been growing. Some seed saving sites says to allow the cucumbers to overripen for up to 5 weeks. Can I pick a normal ripe cucumbers and allow the to ripen off of the vine, because if I overripen them on the vine won't that cause my plant to produce less? thanks, Dean

July 13, 2008	#2
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	They need to stay on the plant to over ripen, you really want to fully devolope the seed first,can`t do that if its off the plant. If you are talking about only one cucumber for seed that wont have to much affect on yeild. You may already know this Dean but to maintain diversity you need about 20 plants or more at least every third generation to avoid inbreeding.

August 14, 2008	#3
phreddy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bulgaria Posts: 260	Here in BG, they say take a yellow cue for seed.