Trouble with hand pollinating cucumbers

DocBrock · April 10, 2018

I've never grown cucumbers before and thought I'd try hand pollinating a few flowers because I hardly ever see bees in my yard. Do cucumbers typically have less pollen than other cucurbits? I've pollinated melons before and seems like if you rub the male flower on the stigma of the female, the stigma is caked in yellow pollen. I'm having a hard time noticing if any pollen is transferring even when using a small paintbrush that has white bristles to collect pollen from the male. Seems like there is no pollen in the male. Is it possible that the first set of flowers don't have pollen yet? It's been 2 days since I first tried and I can't tell whether or not the pollination took. The variety is Boston Pickling Cucumber. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

saltmarsh · April 10, 2018

The female flowers are on the end of a lilttle cucumber. If it doesn't get fertilized the little cucumber will turn yellow and drop off.

MickyT · April 16, 2018

I got tired of trying to hand-pollinate cucumbers so I only grow parthenocarpic varieties now..

KarenO · April 16, 2018

Often the first blooms of regular OP cucumbers are all males. What variety? You can google photos of male and female cucumber blossoms to compare with yours.
KarenO

Barb_FL · April 16, 2018

Agree with KarenO; Give it more time; the bees will come.

DocBrock · April 21, 2018

Bees showed up. There's so many flowers on these plants it's unreal. I kept more plants than I should of, but I couldn't help myself. They are Boston pickling cucumbers and I have them in an earthbox, with the recommended 4 per box, but I kept 2 plants per spot for a total of 8. They've grown incredibly with 2 square tomato cages placed side by side. I ended up adding 6' bamboo stakes at each corner because they grew too tall. I have about 8 bees that work on them all day and so far pollination seems pretty good. This week I harvested enough cucumbers to ferment 3 quarts of kosher dills.

KarenO · April 21, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocBrock

Bees showed up. There's so many flowers on these plants it's unreal. I kept more plants than I should of, but I couldn't help myself. They are Boston pickling cucumbers and I have them in an earthbox, with the recommended 4 per box, but I kept 2 plants per spot for a total of 8. They've grown incredibly with 2 square tomato cages placed side by side. I ended up adding 6' bamboo stakes at each corner because they grew too tall. I have about 8 bees that work on them all day and so far pollination seems pretty good. This week I harvested enough cucumbers to ferment 3 quarts of kosher dills.

Yay!! that is awesome

KarenO

Gardeneer · May 8, 2018

If you see bees, bumble bees, butterflies ,... probably there is no need for hand pollinating. But it is simple to do.
Pick a male flower, gently without shaking too much. Remove the petals , gently or fold back. Take it tofamale flowers and make them kiss

and pronounce them husband and wife.

April 10, 2018	#1
DocBrock Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 111	Trouble with hand pollinating cucumbers I've never grown cucumbers before and thought I'd try hand pollinating a few flowers because I hardly ever see bees in my yard. Do cucumbers typically have less pollen than other cucurbits? I've pollinated melons before and seems like if you rub the male flower on the stigma of the female, the stigma is caked in yellow pollen. I'm having a hard time noticing if any pollen is transferring even when using a small paintbrush that has white bristles to collect pollen from the male. Seems like there is no pollen in the male. Is it possible that the first set of flowers don't have pollen yet? It's been 2 days since I first tried and I can't tell whether or not the pollination took. The variety is Boston Pickling Cucumber. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

May 8, 2018	#8
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	If you see bees, bumble bees, butterflies ,... probably there is no need for hand pollinating. But it is simple to do. Pick a male flower, gently without shaking too much. Remove the petals , gently or fold back. Take it tofamale flowers and make them kiss and pronounce them husband and wife. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

April 10, 2018	#2
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	The female flowers are on the end of a lilttle cucumber. If it doesn't get fertilized the little cucumber will turn yellow and drop off.

April 16, 2018	#3
MickyT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: North Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 46	I got tired of trying to hand-pollinate cucumbers so I only grow parthenocarpic varieties now..

April 16, 2018	#4
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Often the first blooms of regular OP cucumbers are all males. What variety? You can google photos of male and female cucumber blossoms to compare with yours. KarenO

April 16, 2018	#5
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Agree with KarenO; Give it more time; the bees will come.

April 21, 2018	#6
DocBrock Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 111	Bees showed up. There's so many flowers on these plants it's unreal. I kept more plants than I should of, but I couldn't help myself. They are Boston pickling cucumbers and I have them in an earthbox, with the recommended 4 per box, but I kept 2 plants per spot for a total of 8. They've grown incredibly with 2 square tomato cages placed side by side. I ended up adding 6' bamboo stakes at each corner because they grew too tall. I have about 8 bees that work on them all day and so far pollination seems pretty good. This week I harvested enough cucumbers to ferment 3 quarts of kosher dills.