Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old June 24, 2006   #1
TheDens
Tomatovillian™
 
TheDens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Georgia (Zone 7b)
Posts: 233
Default Speaking of cucumbers...

Okay, all you cuke experts out there, hope you don't mind indulging yet another curcurbit question. I picked my first cuke tonight (sweet burpless hybrid). Much to my disappointment, it was completely inedible, so bitter I had to spit it out. I did some sniffing around, and one site I read said that once a cucumber plant puts out a bitter cuke, to just yank it up because that's all it's going to produce for the rest of the season. Is that true? I hate to pull it, I only have two plants.

Denna
TheDens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 25, 2006   #2
Adenn1
Tomatovillian™
 
Adenn1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Philly
Posts: 559
Default

Denna:

I have come across others complaining of bitter cucumbers...not sure if this is a result of weather, soil, fertilization, etc.

I would try a few more fruit before thought of yanking anything out. Hope it gets better for you...
Adenn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 25, 2006   #3
Gimme3
Tomatovillian™
 
Gimme3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northeast Georgia, USA
Posts: 348
Default

Denna..bein in Georgia...you got a World of Time...)))to plant you some more...so dont Sweat it...)))in fact...keepin a few on the Rise is a good idea...always...for our long Season. I kinda believe the Hot Dry Weather might be the cause for it's bitterness, an would contemplate the soil temps an conditions, that the Plant is coping with.

A very Heavy Mulch, in these conditions...will go a Long Ways...towards helpin a cuke, a squash, a watermelon..feel cooler soil temps. Stick yo hand into the soil...Feel how HOT it is...))) a cuke loves good warm seasonality, but not burnin up heat, like we been havin. it also Loves...water, and very Rich soil. Ponder these things...)))

Best Wishes...)))
__________________
....Can you tell a green Field.....from a cold steel rail ?
Roger Waters, David Gilmour
Gimme3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 25, 2006   #4
TheDens
Tomatovillian™
 
TheDens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Georgia (Zone 7b)
Posts: 233
Default

Thanks, both of you. My garden is thoroughly mulched, but those cukes were obviously stressed in our 100 degree heat this week, and I probably haven't watered them enough. I let them wilt before I watered them a few times, and I should've just hit them with a drink in the morning before it got hot.
I think I'm going to combine suggestions and start a few more plants, but wait to see how the next few cukes taste before pulling the current one.

Denna
TheDens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 25, 2006   #5
feldon30
Tomatovillian™
 
feldon30's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
Default

The impression I've gotten is that this is caused by underwatering and/or letting the fruit get too mature. Unlike watermelons and other melons which benefit from getting less water towards ripening. I was reasonably satisfied with the taste of a Straight Eight I got last week.
__________________
[SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] *

[I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]
feldon30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 25, 2006   #6
shelleybean
Tomatovillian™
 
shelleybean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
Default

Yes, it helps to water daily when the weather is hot. Several hot days in a row without watering is what causes that little hollow space in the seed mass, as well as the bitter taste. I don't think you need to pull your plants, though you might want to just cut and pitch the cukes that have already been pollinated. Start over with new fruit on this vine and if you keep it watered, I think everything will be fine.
__________________
Michele
shelleybean is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:51 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★