Friday Rookie Topic XII: Cucumbers

The more I search on Diva cucumbers the more finicky they seem. It appears they are happy in a rather narrow temperature range, not cool and not hot. Even in the greenhouse my conditions are probably too cool at night and too hot during the day.

I grew what I thought was a Diva cucmber a couple years ago. I had bought the plant and the label was broke so all it said was Di. It was delicious, crisp, thin skinned and almost spineless. My DH wanted me to try ferment pickling them but I did not have many and have never ferment pickled anything. The following spring I did not see any plants for sale called Diva, but there was Diamant, and the nursery had Diamant again this year. If they do next year I will try them. Diamant is a gherkin. I think I understand that gherkins are actually a different subspecies than cucumbers. I saw them more differentiated in an English catalog. I wonder if Plantoid knows more about this.

Baby Persian cucs sounds interesting and appropriate to my needs. I will keep an eye out for it. I should also plan on growing Lemon cucs again, they are late but reasonably reliable here.

At lunch today I went on a hunt to find Persian cuke seeds locally, on sale, to plant next year.  Nada.  

Online Renee's and Botanical seem too expensive once shipping is added.  

So I went to Burpee online and read about all their cukes.  Came away with a list of 3 that I'll be looking for locally since Burpee is on half price sale now in a lot of stores:

Sugar Crunch (which seems like Persian to me )
Suyo Long (parthenocarpic)
Early Pride Hybrid

Has anyone tried any of these?

CC - I will be glad to send you some Baby Persian Cucumber seeds.  I pick them up at the local nursery all the time.  I can never remember whether I have any so I always pick up another package when I see them in the racks.  Right now I have three packs of these seeds - 2016, 2017, 2017.  I would be glad to send you a pack if you want, no charge, no trade necessary.  Just PM me your address again.  There are not very many seeds in a pack - 8 seeds per pack.  This will get you enough to try next year.

I am growing Beit Alpha (hybrid) again this year, and for the first time Summer Dance. I think it is OP, but not sure.....if so, I will try to save seeds or send some of the ones I got from Pinetree!  Will keep ya posted!

The Diva cuke condescended to give us TWO fruits. They were delicious. I was just thinking of sending Johhnies a complaint about them not being parthenocarpic. That was a week ago. Now it is back to putting out lots of flowers and all fruit drying up. I should threaten its dignity or something.

I thought this was a timely subject. Most of us are into cucumber season, either watching the first yellow flowers in northern zones, or just finishing up in the hot zones, or harvesting in the middle.

I'm in a hot zone and this is the 3rd summer growing Muncher from Renee's Seeds. Edible skin, never bitter and how it survives 100*F+, I have no idea!

I went out this morning, and cucumbers were on my mind.  There , peeping through the green leaves were flowers of yellow, both male and female, gleaming at me. 
Fingers crossed.  Or should I just go ahead and start helping pollination?

I found that the pollinators, what few there are, do a much better job than me.  And, it's easier on the eyes.

Heat stressed cucumbers: 6-22-18.  What a difference a month makes here.

5-25-18:

Those photos tell all, Sanderson!

My cuke plants are about 3-5" tall, no flowers.   Mother Nature doesn't usually turn the heat on here until July 4th. 

CC