Container grown cucumbers

[Chrispy]

My father grows a few things outside in some small tubs, on the whole does very well, but does sometimes have problems with cucumbers.
Can anybody recommend a good variety that will not grow too tall and will grow well outside in a container.

Cheers.

[Chrispy]

[tonybloke]

I have grown 'marketmore' in containers with success.  ;)

[Barnowl]

I'm not a very successful or loing time cucumber grower so my advice is limited, but have you thought of trying one of the shorter varieties? For instance  Swing F1

http://www.podseeds.co.uk/acatalog/A-Z_of_Vegetables_CUCUMBER.html

the problem is that these F1 seeds are expensive (very).

I have one called Mirella from Real Seeds, but they don't seem to stock it any more. They do have Miniature White have received good write-ups and as they are not F1 you can save the seeds.

http://realseeds.co.uk/cucumbers.html

I'm thinking of giving these a go in 2010

http://www.moreveg.co.uk/shop/article_CUCSM/Cucumber-Spacemaster.html?shop_param=cid%3D21%26aid%3DCUCSM%26

[chriscross1966]

Marketmore is pretty bomb-proof and not so huge that it would outgrow a container... I had one in an 8" pot this year as an experiment  and although not as productive as the one in the ground it didn't do badly....

[plainleaf2]

conthehill how big are the tubs?

[Chrispy]

Thanks all.
I think I'll try the marketmore. May as well see how well they grow on my plot, so I'll buy and share a packet.

[Hyacinth]

I grow both Marketmore and Burpless Tasty outdoors in tubs and have for the past 3(?) years. The tubs are 18" square with poss a similar depth. This size gives the plants stability when the wind picks up. I erect small cane wigwams and tie them in - they produced so well this year I was giving my surplus to the local Drs. Surgery to sell, this year 8)

[Chrispy]

Thanks Hyacinth,

I already grow Burpless on my plot, and that was the variety I was going to recommend if nobody replied to my post.
I think I'll try and get him to try both, see which he gets on best with.

[Hyacinth]

Good idea con, and good idea about sharing the packet - you don't get many seeds for the price, do you? Another I'm growing next year (for the first time) in a tub is Cucino F1 Hybrid - little cucs and lots of them, apparently, but at £3.99 for four seeds?....well, thank the Lord for Wyvale's end-of-season Sale with them at 50p...

PS I put a handful of wr manure in the tub with the compost when I plant them.

[1066]

I grew Marketmore and Mirella this year in tubs, we didn't get a bumper crop but boy were they tasty! The pots are probably 12" deep and I also put some manure in the bottom (not sure if this was what I should have done ).
The one problem I did have was them being knocked about by the wind and constantly having to pick the plants back up. I need to figure a way of securing them. I'm also going to try a few in the ground up at my allotment this year to see if they do any better

1066

[coznbob]

Does anyone have much sucess with growing them outdoors?

Have always grown them in the greenhouse, they are lovely, but not exactly a bumper crop and don't always manage to get them home (yum!)

Would be interested to find out how people grow them outdoors... ;D

Marketmore and burpless have been the ones that I've grown in tubs, with wr manure in the bottom, hard to keep up with watering them though....

[1066]

mine were outside if that helps, but as I said I'm going to try them in the ground next year as well as in pots. I think with the watering situation I'm going to have to try and mulch as much as possible

1066

[thifasmom]

i always grow mine outdoors in the ground up a rose arch. i only ever grow two plants they never actually get up more than half the rose arch (should probably use a shorter structure and use the arch more efficiently with another taller crop ::)).

so far i always have more cucs than we can eat, as for varieties, i generally go for whatever outdoor variety that's available when I'm buying seed, which is about every two to three years when my packet runs out or if i didn't enjoy a particular variety then i buy new the following year.

last year i bought one of the burpless varieties to see  if my mom would find eating and digesting them easier..... but no joy :-\ :(.

[small]

I've always grown marketmore outdoors, I start them off inside beginning of May and plant out beginning of June (I'm in the East Midlands).  I put about four spadesful of home compost in the planting hole, water well and check for slugs till they have toughened up a bit. This year for the first time I tried growing them up supports, and though I still had a good crop it wasn't as good as when I have let them just sprawl. They carry on till about mid-october, and any fruits left keep in the fridge for a few weeks more. To my mind they are one of the most rewarding crops to grow, I suspect shop cukes of having been sprayed and treated to within an inch of their lives.

[1066]

small - as you leave them to spawl and not grow up canes etc do you find slugs etc like to munch on the cucs, or are they ok?

[small]

I reckon my slugs must be a bit weedy - although they create havoc with lettuce and strawberries, they don't touch the actual fruit of cukes or courgettes - but Marketmore are very tough skinned. They nibble at the stems but the plants seem to overcome this.

[1066]

thanks Small so just the normal vigilance needed  ::)  ;)  :)

[Flighty]

I've been following this thread with interest as I meant to grow some outside this year but didn't.
I will next year and think that I'll try a couple each in containers and in the ground.
My plot neighbours grow, and recommend, Marketmore outside and certainly the ones they gave me were very tasty!
Thanks for all the good information folks!  :)