Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Svea on June 21, 2005, 14:12:54
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hello all :)
my plants are coming along well and i have of course a few questions for you.
my cucumber has four tiny small embryonic cucumbers on them - three with flowers on the end/about to flower, and one just embryonic, but with no sign of a flower about to emerge. what gives?
my courgettes are madly at it - in fact, there are lots of flowers but the plants havent grown all that much yet since i transplanted a couple of weeks ago. also, all the flowers seem to be male atm. should i do anything with the plants?
finally, my first squash has started to flower (veg. spaghetti). again, there seem to be loads of flower buds. also, is there a distinction between male and female flowers on a squash? anyways, there are so many buds i am beginning to wonder how this plant will sustain 'trying' to produce that many squashes...???
should i just let them get on with it and not look for a while?
cheers
svea :)
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Svea, I would do the "not look for a while" bit! It hasn't been a particularly warm start to their season, I am sure a few weeks of warmth and everything will be romping away. (Please!!)
With squash it is the same as courgettes, you will see a fruit forming on the females. Mine are all showing distinct male tendencies, but I find that happens most years until the plant has grown up a bit!
Just you see, you will have more fruit than you will know what to do with soon! ;D
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I planted my S/C/C in tyres full of compost this year. Too soon to tell if they're going to flourish...
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thanks doris :)
i just checked again yesterday and one of the p[umpkins is showing a female bud in developement. so not too long now ;D
i am very chuffed to see another cucumber in flower - i think the tasty burpless is an all female variety so they are all producing 'proper' flowers ;)
svea
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In previous years all my c/cs' first few flowers have been male. This year my plants are only about 18" high so far, but each has produced three or four flowers in the last week - and they're all female (unless they're obese males, of course!)
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i know that mine is an all female variety (F1 hybrid) so there shouldnt be any males flowers anyways.
are you growing the same variety as before, or a different one?
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In previous years all my c/cs' first few flowers have been male. This year my plants are only about 18" high so far, but each has produced three or four flowers in the last week - and they're all female (unless they're obese males, of course!)
So are females generally fatter than males, then? ;)
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Have planted some butternut squash seeds and pumpkin seeds into my well rotted manure heap (planted today)
Question is... is this too late??
Debs
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No - if we have a warm september you will be fine!
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ooh oh - goody. Thanks for asking that Deb. I thought it was too late, but now I will sow some more.
The first lot of courgettes all got eaten by snails. More vaseline this time!
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Phew! Number one son wants to grow a pumpkin and daughter wants her own cucumber plant! Know what I will be doing after the school run! ;D ;D ;D
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OMG! my cucumbers are really going for it! what was barely an inch two days ago is now approaching 3 inches! luck will have it that the first cuc will be ripe when we are away on holiday :(
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This heat should really get them going and water them well. With squashes if you sow them too early in cold soil later sowings will catch up and probably be more productive.
Early sowings of summer squash bear more "male" flowers (not sure about pumpkins).
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Thanks for that everyone!!
I intend on spending the best part of tomorrow in the lottie to do some
much needed catching- up
Debs ;D
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Are ridge cucumbers as easy to grow as pumpkins and squashes? maybe one for next year!
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They're really easy if the slugs don't get them.
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Robert, have you ever grown Tasteless Burpy Green? and if so are they best in or out? Greenhouse, that is... ;)
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Not that particular variety. I can't find it on a quick web search so I can't help you there.
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Robin, thought they were outside types, that is where my one plant is! (had 4 but they did't do well against Slugzilla!)
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Have just planted my first ever crops ;D in our new lottie - butternut squash, courgettes and cucumber. Am now dreading going to the lottie this afternoon in case an attack of the slugs has taken place :(
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yes tasty burpless are an outdoor variety. mine are romping away as i said earlier :)
the warm weather has meant all my heat lovers have quadrupled in size in the last five days :eek:
lets hope there is fruit to follow soon :)
svea
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I'm growing Cucumbers both in the greenhouse and on the lottie. The variety is 'PROLIFIC' are these all female flowers. The cucumbers are very tiny at the moment without a flower on the end, but there is another tiny stump along side the growing cucumber which could be a flower.
If it grows male flowers will I need to dead head them before they mature.
Lily
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Courgettes then...at what size should I plant them out? They are in the g'house at the mo, at the 4 true leave stage and about 6" high.
My plan is to put them in their final position tomorrow morning, would this be about right or should I wait till they're a bit bigger?
Oh, and at what spacing?
Thanks in advance.
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I'm no expert but... I planted my courgettes out yesterday, and they had about 4 true leaves. I planted them 3ft apart as they are trailing varieties but this is the first time I've grown them, so don't just take my word for it! ;D
I'm sure a more experienced grower will be along soon.
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Hi there,
I've grown courgettes for the last couple of years, and plant them out when they have about 3 or 4 leaves, after the frosts have gone. As long as the slugs don't get them they will soon be growing well. I've planted out some Butternut squash and Cobnut squash a couple of weeks ago, and they were a bit smaller, but seem OK at the moment. Now the warm weather has arrived they will all start growing fast!
Phil
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I'd have thought planting them out now would be fine. My first year with an allotment so no expert - proven by the fact that I put my cucumbers and courgettes out just in time for the last frost!! As a result I lost nearly all of them. But....I planted both kinds of seeds outdoors and those plus the survivors are doing very well all with some fruit coming. I also put some indoor raised plants out and about 4 weeks ago and they are also romping away despire being put in non-manured ground when I ran out of space!
Hope that gives you confidence.
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We had BTG cues outdoors last year. They were fantastic (picked in october - yes october) for greek salad for my dad's 80th birthday do.
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my first cucumber is due on wednesday. how do i know? because we are off on holiday on thursday and i WILL eat that cucumber and not leave it to become too big and/or rot before we return. it's about 10cm long now and will easily grow another 4 or 5 by wednesday night :)
yay!
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Didn't get round to it yesterday, will try tomorrow.
And another squash has poked its head through the compost today.
They must like the heat of the greenhouse.
So, that's 5 Butternut squash, 10? BTG cukes, 10 pumpkins, 15 'all green bush' courgettes and 2 melons (sweetheart). I've never grown any of them before. Lucky I've got plenty of room.
I just hope the wife and kids like 'em!
Oh, and I've just picked the first loganberry. Delicious, but as I got the plant in a little late there are only about half a dozen fruits. But the bush has put on loads of growth and I reckon next year's going to be a bumper one for them.
Also got 'thornless giant'? blackberry. This has a lot more small fruits, but won't be ready for a while yet.
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15 Courgette plants. I hope you have a large family, hungry friends, or a large freezer! I grew 9 plants last year and couldn't eat them / give them away fast enough. Only growing 4 this year. Here's hoping for a bumper crop now summers arrived.
Phil
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Does anyone know about picking courgette flowers to eat. At what stage should you pick them - with the courgettes or before. I have quite a few little courgettes on my plants but I don't think they've been fertilised by the females - if this is the correct terminology, I havent grown them before. Anyway, the flowers too seem to die after about a day.
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Try here..
http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/recipe.jsp?ref=recipes.200304222237