Cucumbers self pollinate?

s1rGr1nG0 4/29/2014, 8:36 am

I have a few regular and some lemon cucumbers growing. They both have plenty of blooms and the little beginning of cucumbers on them. I think I read somewhere that they don't self pollinate and that we may need to use a small brush to transfer pollen. Is that correct?
It looks like some of the buds are turning brown and falling off and I'm guessing it's because they were not pollinated.

Boz 4/29/2014, 10:47 am

Cucumbers have male and female flowers. Are the flowers that turn brown male or female?
I have never had to pollinate cucumbers. For more information see this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq_KNAAG7j0

**AtlantaMarie** 4/29/2014, 10:51 am

If that's the case, the female flowers will have a small bud behind them. Males will not.

**camprn** 4/29/2014, 11:12 am

There are numerous back threads about this topic. Use the search feature to find them.

Cucumbers need a pollinator.

Cucumbers self pollinate? 2636062189

s1rGr1nG0 4/29/2014, 12:36 pm

Boz wrote:Cucumbers have male and female flowers. Are the flowers that turn brown male or female?
I have never had to pollinate cucumbers. For more information see this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq_KNAAG7j0

Female flowers. They ones that actually have the tiny cucumber that never grows. Time to start pollinating! Very Happy

**jimmy cee** 4/29/2014, 2:23 pm

Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's

**camprn** 4/29/2014, 2:30 pm

jimmy cee wrote:Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's

Cucumber beetles kill my cukes usually from diseases they carry and infect the plant with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber_beetle

s1rGr1nG0 4/29/2014, 5:06 pm

camprn wrote:
jimmy cee wrote:Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's
Cucumber beetles kill my cukes usually from diseases they carry and infect the plant with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber_beetle

I think he was being sarcastic.

**camprn** 4/29/2014, 7:13 pm

s1rGr1nG0 wrote:
camprn wrote:
jimmy cee wrote:Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's
Cucumber beetles kill my cukes usually from diseases they carry and infect the plant with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber_beetle

I think he was being sarcastic.

Perhaps, but not everyone will know that, especially new gardeners. Wink

boffer 4/29/2014, 7:40 pm

I like my parthenocarpic cucumbers.

(I would call them self-pollinating so everyone knew what I meant, but Pollinator would come along and rap my knuckles because it's not technically correct!) Razz

**jimmy cee** 4/30/2014, 8:06 am

jimmy cee wrote:Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's

Yes my apologies I was only trying to make a funny not realizing others out here are not aware of the damage these bugs do.
It's a constant battle for me with them.
I even tried small bottles made up like a flower with cotton balls soaked in eucalyptus oil.
Ran (run) after them with needle nose pliers..feeling immense victory when I have em between the jaws.
Yellow sticky traps, Tanglefoot
This season I may try planting my cuke's later than normal.

**camprn** 4/30/2014, 8:12 am

jimmy cee wrote:
jimmy cee wrote:Cucumber beetles pollinate my cuke's
Yes my apologies I was only trying to make a funny not realizing others out here are not aware of the damage these bugs do.
It's a constant battle for me with them.
I even tried small bottles made up like a flower with cotton balls soaked in eucalyptus oil.
Ran (run) after them with needle nose pliers..feeling immense victory when I have em between to jaws.
Yellow sticky traps, Tanglefoot
This season I may try planting my cuke's later than normal.

Sometimes I use my dustbuster to suck them off the plants. That can work pretty well. Wink

**sanderson** 4/30/2014, 12:49 pm

. . . only a gardener would go out in the front yard with her dustbuster! lol!

**AtlantaMarie** 4/30/2014, 12:57 pm

(snicker...) Yeah, but it gives ME a good idea! My neighbors think I'm strange anyway...

Thanks, Camprn!

**sanderson** 4/30/2014, 1:50 pm

AM, You wouldn't!! What a Face

Oh, yes you would and so would I!

**AtlantaMarie** 4/30/2014, 7:47 pm

Yep. Sure would! Just like you...!

Maybe I'll do it during the day instead of at night in my bathrobe, though... Think the dust-buster will work on slugs?

Triciasgarden 5/1/2014, 2:36 pm

Ok I am dumb, I thought hummmm I wonder why the cucumber beetles polinate JimmyCee's cucumbers and kill Camprns cucumbers, must be they live in different states. Embarassed

I haven't gotten cucumber beetles here. I should say that quietly so they don't show up here. Then I need to go try to find my brain.

**sanderson** 5/1/2014, 3:18 pm

Shhh . . . Me too. I hate to even jinx myself by replying on this topic.

Triciasgarden 5/1/2014, 3:19 pm

**jimmy cee** 5/1/2014, 4:51 pm

Tricia I'm sure the cuke beetles carry some pollen from plant to plant, thus the pollination, then as their pollinating they are also destroying.
Maybe this years cold weather did a job on them, it sure did a job on my ivy..

Pollinator 5/1/2014, 10:21 pm

s1rGr1nG0 wrote:I have a few regular and some lemon cucumbers growing. They both have plenty of blooms and the little beginning of cucumbers on them. I think I read somewhere that they don't self pollinate and that we may need to use a small brush to transfer pollen. Is that correct?
It looks like some of the buds are turning brown and falling off and I'm guessing it's because they were not pollinated.

Cucumbers require pollinators - the plant has separate male and female flowers, and a pollinator must move pollen from the male flowers to the female. Normally this is bees, but if you lack enough bees for 25-30 bee visits on each flower, you can be the pollinator. Here's a more comprehensive explanation of cuke pollination:
http://gardensouth.org/2011/07/21/why-are-my-cucumber-falling-off-or-becoming-deformed/

FeedMeSeeMore 5/31/2014, 5:09 pm

Came here to learn about cucumber pollination and found the new dust buster idea. LOVE it. Count me in!

FeedMeSeeMore 5/31/2014, 5:16 pm

[quote="Pollinator"]

s1rGr1nG0 wrote:. Normally this is bees, but if you lack enough bees for 25-30 bee visits on each flower, you can be the pollinator. Here's a more comprehensive explanation of cuke pollination:
http://gardensouth.org/2011/07/21/why-are-my-cucumber-falling-off-or-becoming-deformed/

I don't have anywhere near that number of pollinators, but I see a growing number of the mini cukes with flowers sitting there. Maybe I better get busy and learn to do this hand pollination.

**camprn** 5/31/2014, 6:26 pm

FeedMeSeeMore wrote:
Pollinator wrote:
s1rGr1nG0 wrote:. Normally this is bees, but if you lack enough bees for 25-30 bee visits on each flower, you can be the pollinator. Here's a more comprehensive explanation of cuke pollination:
http://gardensouth.org/2011/07/21/why-are-my-cucumber-falling-off-or-becoming-deformed/

I don't have anywhere near that number of pollinators, but I see a growing number of the mini cukes with flowers sitting there. Maybe I better get busy and learn to do this hand pollination.

Yes you do. A nice little sable paint brush is just the thing.

**sanderson** 6/1/2014, 3:38 am

I bought an assortment pack at Michael's. Larger ones for squash, smaller ones for melons and cucumbers.

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