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  • Cucumbers Avoiding bitterness.

    From blenky@blenkinsopp@mail.com to uk.rec.gardening on Mon Apr 21 11:29:23 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    Hi,
    Can anyone give me pointers to a site with a few answers if there is no
    simple set of reasons for my problems.

    I planted cucumbers years back and they started o/k, but soon into the harvesting they turned very bitter. I tried to keep on top of male flower removal, but obviously missed some as the bitterness remained until I
    stripped the lot out.

    Planting some F1's I had no bitterness, and indeed found that the
    cucumbers were misshapen due to me removing the male flowers.

    Now I have all females and as usual a few have died after transplanting. I have some Telegraph improved in seed trays and also Konsa that I bought
    from Lidl.

    Can I put either of these in with the females? I notice that the Telegraph improved pack says remove the male flowers though, so I'm disinclined to bother with these.

    I find the whole thing really confusing as some advise leaving male
    flowers on outside, but not inside. Why?

    The other oddity is that if my courgettes don't get fertilised, they rot,
    so it seems odd that not fertilising cuc's is an aim.

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  • From David Entwistle@qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz to uk.rec.gardening on Tue Apr 22 14:19:19 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:29:23 +0000, blenky wrote:

    Can anyone give me pointers to a site with a few answers if there is no simple set of reasons for my problems.

    Hi,

    I have no expertise, but am interested, as I hope to be growing cucumbers
    this year.

    There's what looks to be sound advice here:

    https://hub.suttons.co.uk/blog/vegetable-growing/how-to-avoid-bitter-
    cucumbers

    So avoid pollination and plant stress.

    I remember reading about bitter courgettes here:

    https://www.gardencentreretail.com/bitter-courgettes-information-and- update-from-mr-fothergills-seeds/

    That was a problem with cross pollination at the seed growers facility
    and, in that case, there's nothing the grower can do, if there is a
    problem with the seeds themselves. I guess cucumbers can have the same problem, but shouldn't if obtained from a reliable source.
    --
    David Entwistle
    52-#56'02.5"N 4-#31'05.8"W 50m amsl
    Sandy soil
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  • From nmm@nmm@wheeler.UUCP (Nick Maclaren) to uk.rec.gardening on Tue Apr 22 15:06:57 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    In article <vu88h7$n7eo$1@dont-email.me>,
    David Entwistle <qnivq.ragjvfgyr@ogvagrearg.pbz> wrote:

    There's what looks to be sound advice here:

    https://hub.suttons.co.uk/blog/vegetable-growing/how-to-avoid-bitter- >cucumbers

    So avoid pollination and plant stress.

    I remember reading about bitter courgettes here:

    https://www.gardencentreretail.com/bitter-courgettes-information-and- >update-from-mr-fothergills-seeds/

    That was a problem with cross pollination at the seed growers facility
    and, in that case, there's nothing the grower can do, if there is a
    problem with the seeds themselves. I guess cucumbers can have the same >problem, but shouldn't if obtained from a reliable source.

    I had that problem with Cucumis anguria, where it had cross-pollinated
    with the wild form and was both very bitter and strongly emetic.


    Regards,
    Nick Maclaren.
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  • From blenky@blenkinsopp@mail.com to uk.rec.gardening on Tue Apr 22 16:39:26 2025
    From Newsgroup: uk.rec.gardening

    On Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:19:19 -0000 (UTC), David Entwistle wrote:

    On Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:29:23 +0000, blenky wrote:
    There's what looks to be sound advice here:

    https://hub.suttons.co.uk/blog/vegetable-growing/how-to-avoid-bitter- cucumbers

    Thanks,
    the site was informative, but I feel there is something missing that I
    need to "join the dots".

    I planted some F1's I think last year and removed the male flowers. I
    never linked the action to the cucumbers but they were odd shapes and
    often small.

    This was supposed to be down to lack of pollination.

    I started leaving the male flowers on, but there was never any bitterness
    at any time.

    I will grow all females I think and leave the spaces where those that
    didn't survive transplanting empty.

    I have butternut squash in the same greenhouse and I would guess that only three or four could easily fill the area and can be guided into any
    available space.
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