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Re: Female cucumbers

On Thu 19 Mar, Meconella wrote:
> In a message dated 98-03-19 00:13:23 EST, you write:
> 
> << However if these have been pollinated
>   by the male flowers the seeds form and spoil the fruit from a
>   culinary point of view, so the male flowers have to be removed
>   2. The modern F1 hybrid cucumber is bred fom two different parents
>   and is sterile in that it bears only female fruits, thus the labour
>   of removing the male flowers is avoided. Moreover the yield is extremely
>   high and the quality excellent. >>
> 
> 
> Hi,  Allan,
> 
> Are you saying the fruits produced on these 'female' only plants are seedless,
> that is,  the seeds just dont develop and remain small and tender?  And the
> fruits reach 'normal' size?
> 
> And to someone like me who has already cukes in the ground of a traditional
> variety--straight 8-- that the fruit on these can be improved by removing all
> the male flowers so pollination doesnt occur?  I'd hate to lose my small crop
> by removing all the male flowers,  but the result sounds interesting.
> 
> Thanks, Janet.
> 
> 
> 
To Janet
Not knowing your location or your variety I cannot be too specific,
but in this country and indoors which goes for glasshouse and
polytunnels, the most widely grown variety was Telegraph(not F1)
. The commercial growers now use the F1 hybrids which I also use.
Yes I would expect you to get cucumbers on the non-F1 varieties
with or without the male flowers removed but when pollinated
(a) the seeds will grow  (b) these will cause a swelling in the
fruit and maybe bitterness.
For outdoor growing the situation is different, as one could not
use the same techniques or varieties, unless you are in a warmer
climate. I have dropped all other outdoor varieties in favour of
Burpless tasty green which is planted out and left to get on with
it. It crops fantastically, long straightish fruits and the 'spines' rub
off easily if you wish. Another point about training, we grow ours up strings and
let sideshoots develop up to 2 cucumbers each before pinching out the tip after the
next 2 leaves. This greatly boosts the crop and gives a continuity after
the main shoot has given up or 'hit the roof'.
Thanks for your interest.
-- 
Allan Day 41 Villa St. Hereford HR2 7AU allan@crwys.demon.co.uk
Tel:- 01432 275443 (+answer m/c)
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