Search
Latest topics
» What do I do with tomato plants?by SMEDLEY BUTLER Today at 7:16 pm
» N & C Midwest—May 2024
by OhioGardener Today at 7:14 pm
» Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse
by OhioGardener Today at 7:02 pm
» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 4:09 pm
» Compost not hot
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 8:05 am
» First timer in Central Virginia (7b) - newly built beds 2024
by flossy21 5/16/2024, 5:34 pm
» Help me correct my mistakes for next year please
by SMEDLEY BUTLER 5/16/2024, 4:46 pm
» Cabbage worms
by sanderson 5/16/2024, 1:34 am
» Complicated mixed up bunny poop!
by plantoid 5/14/2024, 7:20 pm
» They don't call 'em garden BEDS for nothing.
by sanderson 5/12/2024, 2:34 am
» Spring Flowers
by OhioGardener 5/9/2024, 12:02 pm
» Birds of the Garden
by OhioGardener 5/7/2024, 8:26 pm
» Greetings from Southport NC
by sanderson 5/6/2024, 4:36 am
» In the news: Biosolids in Texas.
by sanderson 5/6/2024, 4:19 am
» Rhubarb Rhubarb
by Scorpio Rising 5/5/2024, 7:57 pm
» Mark's first SFG
by markqz 5/4/2024, 12:08 am
» question about the digital tools from the sfg site.
by OhioGardener 5/2/2024, 4:50 pm
» Assistance Needed: Sugar Snap Peas Yellowing and Wilting
by Scorpio Rising 5/1/2024, 8:24 pm
» OMG, GMO from an unexpected place.
by sanderson 5/1/2024, 1:57 am
» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 4/29/2024, 1:30 pm
» Lovage, has anyone grown, or used
by OhioGardener 4/29/2024, 12:27 pm
» New to SFG in Arlington, Tx
by sanderson 4/26/2024, 3:13 pm
» Soil Blocks: Tutorial In Photos
by OhioGardener 4/25/2024, 5:20 pm
» Manure tea overwintered outside - is it safe to use?
by Mhpoole 4/24/2024, 7:08 pm
» Advice on my blend
by donnainzone5 4/24/2024, 12:13 pm
» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener 4/24/2024, 8:16 am
» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by sanderson 4/22/2024, 2:07 pm
» Sacrificial Tomatoes
by SMEDLEY BUTLER 4/22/2024, 10:36 am
» From the Admin - 4th EDITION of All New Square Foot Gardening is in Progress
by sanderson 4/21/2024, 5:02 pm
» Happy Birthday!!
by AtlantaMarie 4/21/2024, 6:56 am
Google
Deformed cucumbers
+2
OhioGardener
rdhwyalane
6 posters
Page 1 of 1
rdhwyalane- Posts : 18
Join date : 2021-07-26
Age : 54
Location : Marietta, GA
sanderson likes this post
Re: Deformed cucumbers
There are a number of things that can cause deformed cucumbers such as the ones in your picture. In adequate pollination is a frequent cause of that condition. Not enough water can also cause that, since cucumbers are 96% water, plants need a lot of water during the formation of the fruit. Another frequent cause of such deformity can be too much fertilizer, but that should not be a problem with your gardens if you are using a good blend of composts -- that is assuming your MM does not include too much manure or worm castings.
Can you shed a little more light on the condition of your beds, the watering, etc.?
Can you shed a little more light on the condition of your beds, the watering, etc.?
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
sanderson and Hip2B like this post
Re: Deformed cucumbers
I'm guessing I probably don't water enough. It usually rains here about once a week, and I try to water with the hose in between (I don't have an irrigation system). How often do you water?
I did add a handful of black cow to the spot where I planted. Not sure about the pollination. Can you hand pollinate the way you can with squash?
I did add a handful of black cow to the spot where I planted. Not sure about the pollination. Can you hand pollinate the way you can with squash?
rdhwyalane- Posts : 18
Join date : 2021-07-26
Age : 54
Location : Marietta, GA
sanderson likes this post
Re: Deformed cucumbers
rdhwyalane wrote:I'm guessing I probably don't water enough. It usually rains here about once a week, and I try to water with the hose in between (I don't have an irrigation system). How often do you water?
It is important to know when to water, and how much. Vegetable plants need 1" of water per week. Do you get one inch of rain per week? If not you need to add enough water to bring it up to 1". For example, if the rain gauge says you got 1/4" inch of rain, you need to add 3/4" of water. I use a moisture meter to periodically check the soil for the moisture level - if it is moist, leave it alone, but if it is dry add water.
Can you hand pollinate the way you can with squash?
Yes, they can be hand pollinated. Check your plants early in the morning to see if there are bees busy pollinating the plants. The bees are most active in the early morning, before the sun gets too hot, so you should see a lot of activity on the plants at that time of the day. If you are not seeing bees on the flowers, and you may need alternative pollination techniques.
Be sure to interplant flowers in your gardens to attract pollinators. Vegetables alone are not enough to attract pollinators, they need an abundance of flowers.
This honeybee is enjoying a cucumber flower
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
sanderson likes this post
Re: Deformed cucumbers
I get those deformed fruit on some zucchini and cucumber varieties that are bred to produce a profuse amount of fruit by having a super-high ratio of female flowers to male flowers. The female flowers outnumber the males enough so that if there is not enough male flowers to pollinate them all; you get either the "morphed" fruit, or a shriveled little stub with an anemic appearance that will just atrophe and rot on the vine. You can hand pollinate, plant flowers that attract bees, or think about next year's cucumber varieties that are self pollinating and really push out the cukes.
Parthenocarpic Cucumbers: Watch and learn
Parthenocarpic Cucumbers: Watch and learn
Yardslave- Posts : 546
Join date : 2012-01-19
Age : 73
Location : Carmel Valley, Ca.
sanderson likes this post
Re: Deformed cucumbers
Hi Alane, You have already been given some good information on possible causes of deformed cucumbers. You are not alone with deformed fruit. I grow Munchers and Beit Alpha, the later having been developed in the Mediterranean for climates such as mine. Some are absolutely beautiful and others are deformed, most likely from incomplete pollination in my case.
Just a thought. I grow 16 cucumber plants in a 2'x4' bed and another 12 in a 2" x 3" bed. When a pollinator visits these 2 beds, the only flowers available are cucumbers. Most of my beds are a mono-crops. I know some folks interplant crops but I have to work with the few pollinators I have. Just throwing this out.
Just a thought. I grow 16 cucumber plants in a 2'x4' bed and another 12 in a 2" x 3" bed. When a pollinator visits these 2 beds, the only flowers available are cucumbers. Most of my beds are a mono-crops. I know some folks interplant crops but I have to work with the few pollinators I have. Just throwing this out.
Re: Deformed cucumbers
Ok, if I can piggy back on this thread, what was supposed to be my pickling cukes are shaped like this, too.OhioGardener wrote:There are a number of things that can cause deformed cucumbers such as the ones in your picture. In adequate pollination is a frequent cause of that condition. Not enough water can also cause that, since cucumbers are 96% water, plants need a lot of water during the formation of the fruit. Another frequent cause of such deformity can be too much fertilizer, but that should not be a problem with your gardens if you are using a good blend of composts -- that is assuming your MM does not include too much manure or worm castings.
Can you shed a little more light on the condition of your beds, the watering, etc.?
I put 1/5th manure (mostly Black Kow but a bit of Epsoma chicken) and 1/5th home produced worm castings in my compost mix. Then, my own veg compost, another's veg compost, and Black Velvet mushroom compost.
It's a self-wicking bed. I don't think it's gone without water. I did however not cut the fruits soon enough, and the cuke plants started to turn yellow. I cut the fruits and the plants started to turn green again by the hour. There were other mini cukes started.
So if the compost is okay, then I'm left with incomplete pollination. But I think we've seen bees on them in the morning.
Soose- Posts : 409
Join date : 2022-02-23
Location : North Alabama
Re: Deformed cucumbers
I grow small parhtenocarpic cucumbers so I do not have to worry too much about pollination.
yolos- Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 74
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
sanderson likes this post
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|