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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 08:34:53

Title: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 08:34:53
Following on from talks about tasty tomatoes, may I ask the same about cucumbers, please?

Before I grew cucs for the 1st time this year - Marketmore & Burpless Tasty Green - I'd assumed that they all taste the same? Well, obviously the shop-bought ones do :-\ So it's only now that I've discovered that they don't!

So.....your fave g/house and outdoor?
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: redimp on July 29, 2006, 11:44:14
Not much success with cucs - failed last year and only have marketmore the year.  Like 'em but going to try BTG and crystal apple next year too.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 11:50:21
well Clang, if someone can tell me that it's OK to save BTG from this years crop for next? I'll gladly save & dry some for you. (AND I too would like a couple of crystal apple seeds for next year, please, anyone?)
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: plot51A on July 29, 2006, 12:00:17
Have only grown BTG so far, new to growing cues.

My grandson, aged 6, helping me to harvest this week, took the BTG and said "Lovely Nanny - smell this - lovely" - took a large bite and then proceeded to eat the whole thing. A vote in favour methinks. (His mum grows Pepita and they are popular too.)
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: tim on July 29, 2006, 12:15:51
I'm a bit of a moron here. To me, they all taste of cucumber. But fresh cucumber.

My aim is to find a variety that is productive, regular, no hassle.

Of the 12 or so that we've tried, I still grow Passandra as at least one of our indoor types.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Plum on July 29, 2006, 12:24:33
I grow Petita, one of the grandchildren eats them like sticks of rock. She can't get enough of them
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 12:43:57
Are Petita just a greenhouse variety, Plum?
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: tim on July 29, 2006, 12:49:05
They're great. But any would grow outside given the right temperature?
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: amphibian on July 29, 2006, 13:16:45
Quote from: Alishka_Maxwell on July 29, 2006, 11:50:21
well Clang, if someone can tell me that it's OK to save BTG from this years crop for next? I'll gladly save & dry some for you. (AND I too would like a couple of crystal apple seeds for next year, please, anyone?)

PM me your address and I'll send CA seeds.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 29, 2006, 14:41:12
It's OK to save seed, but looking at the info I had from the Real Seed Co, they will cross with other cucumbers grown within a mile if they're grown outdoors, so it's best to bag the flowers. Cucumbers grown indoors will normally be OK without bagging. I'll definitely be bagging mine as I'm growing two varieties next to each other!
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 15:39:17
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 29, 2006, 14:41:12
It's OK to save seed, but looking at the info I had from the Real Seed Co, they will cross with other cucumbers grown within a mile if they're grown outdoors, so it's best to bag the flowers. Cucumbers grown indoors will normally be OK without bagging. I'll definitely be bagging mine as I'm growing two varieties next to each other!

How, exactly, will I do that, please?

And thanks, Amph - will PM you my address. Many thanks.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: ruud on July 29, 2006, 15:53:58
I have grown this year for the first time an outdoor cucumber called bullet.It produces every day a new cucumber,the taste is oke.I will shoot some pictures next time.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: davy1 on July 29, 2006, 15:55:43
F1 Tasty King had good crops for the last three years and plenty of them. Not a bad show cucumber either
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: cleo on July 29, 2006, 16:33:06
I like Petita,Futura is not bad. But If I could still get them at trade prices `Birgit`-would be No1
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: davy1 on July 29, 2006, 18:19:41
First attempt to put a picture on the top cucumbers are Carmen, More of a show one , for me there is a waist never seem to get to the enf of one. The bottom one is F1 tasty King                        (http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3493/gdn027da8.th.jpg) (http://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gdn027da8.jpg)
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: tim on July 29, 2006, 20:07:34
Yes - Carmen is good.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Tora on July 29, 2006, 20:18:18
Isn't BTG F1 hybrid (sorry if it's not)? If so the seeds won't be worth saving.

I had had no success with cucumbers until this year. I grew Japanese ridge cucs and Marketmore in the past and every year I only got one or two small cucs from each plant.

This year Marketmore is doing really well. I've picked three so far and there are loads more coming! ;D
Although I put a support it's acting like a sprawling variety and have several side shoots. Each side shoot has several cucs forming.

I also have Crystal Apple and Japanese ridge cucs planted out recently. Hope they do as well as Marketmore. :)

Oh, taste wise I like Japanese cucumber. They are thin, tender and juicy. No need to peel the skin. :P Marketmore is ok but not as juicy as Japanese type. I'm growing CA for the first time this year. Can't wait to try them!
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Hyacinth on July 29, 2006, 21:12:57
Thanks for that, everyone. I like the sound of Tora's Japanese ridge cucs. I'm experimenting with baking stuffed cucs and Marketmore seem good for that, whilst I prefer to munch on the BTGs. But now I've got another one to try - friend gave me 2 unknown variety of squashes - and one is definitely a squashed cucumber ::)

So....is BTG an F hybrid? Unfortunately I threw my empty packet away.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: davy1 on July 29, 2006, 21:18:32
I grow different cucumbers for different reasons. Burpees because of there flavour, moisture a good cropper, but also because there is no waist, i cut them when they are about 8" and all gets eaten
Carmen for shows only eating those that wont be ready when i want them, cut off to promote the others. and F1 Tasty King i find its a good cropper and tasty, also for shows, but they can get rather big.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Roy Bham UK on July 29, 2006, 22:30:22
I have not experimented with varieties as I only started lottying last year and planted "Telegraph" outdoors, plonked them on the Farm Yard Manure :P they tasted as Tim said, like cucumber but the skin was tough so had to be peeled. :(

This year, same cucumbers planted in well manured soil, coming along ok but whey behind through my late planting, just hoping this warm weather will give them the boost they need. :-\

Here’s a picky from last year.

(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/2938/cuc1gu5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: davy1 on July 30, 2006, 17:02:30
What leangths we have to do to get a straight cucumber
click to enlarge
(http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9762/gdn029rb4.th.jpg) (http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gdn029rb4.jpg)
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 30, 2006, 23:49:22
The Victorians used glass tubes. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that bent cucumbers were considered a sign of moral turpitude.
Title: Re: Which tasty cucumber is your favourite?
Post by: triffid on July 30, 2006, 23:59:41
 ;D ;D ;D

cucumbers in straitjackets

not so much greenhouse as madhouse?  ;)