Can anyone advise me when to pick crystal lemon cucumbers, I have one that’s the size of a golf ball, this is the first year of growing these. Thanks for your help.
Yep, thats the size you want to pick them at their best
I reckon at about tennis ball size myself... just keep an eye out for distinct yellowing as they ripen and start to set seeds...
:)
And I go anywhere between, but no bigger than tennis ball as they loose their juicyness and become pippy. yum!
Some of mine were the size of ping-pong balls last year, a couple made it to tennis balls. The colour change is what you're looking for rather than size IMHO. They keep amazingly well at room temp, by the way, much better than their cylindrical cousins.
I'm growing these for the first time this year but they don't seem to be doing much growing. I have them outdoors, could that be the problem?
Mine are indoors this year and a bit slow to get going, last year I grew them both in and outdoors, both did brilliantly, so we could just blame the weather again...... :-\
I always have more luck with them under glass...
:)
Use the more mature ones like courgettes.
Thats a good idea J!
We've got them in a trough outside the greenhouse growing up canes and they are coming on a treat. We have picked a few bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball - the size of a nice small apple says Mrs Project ;D They were very nice too.
Spiky little skins though!
Spiky skins but sweet sweet flesh!
Thanks everyone for your advice, I’ll leave it for another week, about the spikes - do you have to peel the cucumbers of just rub off the spikes?
You don't have to peel them, but as they age and go a more orangy yellow colour the skin is pretty tough, so I do.. ;D
We've peeled ours, but then we peel most cukes anyway.
The spikes rub off easily enough. We haven't tried to eat the skins.
What spacing do you all recommend for this variety?
I do 2', three to the side of an eight by six, growing something else along the back... :)
Thank you, I have a nice wee 6 foot tall mini greenhouse I've been given. It's only 2 foot 3 wide so this should be a nice size for one of these in a pot...says on sites semi shade for cucs????