Allotments 4 All

The first 'Miniature White' cucumbers appear to be getting to picking size (about 2-3"), but the four I have picked off, have all been bitter.

They still have a tinge of green on the outer skin, and little/no seed visible inside.

Has anyone grown this variety? Are they (probably) not-quite-ripe? They are supposed to be sweet and bitter-free.

They are grown in a growbag (2 plants), and for the past 6 weeks have been getting a once/twice weekly addition of diluted tomato feed.

The greenhouse is quite shady (overhanging trees), but not too humid.

?

I don't know this variety, but unless it is a female-only type it does sound as if the fruuit has been fertilized.
On my own three plants I have had to remove about 20 male flowers each morning.

Erratic watering causes bitter cucumbers sometimes.

Thanks for your replies...

It's not a female only plant, and I've been going around with a paintbrush occasionally in order to promote pollination. Erratic watering is a possibility, although it's never been at the droopy stage.

I'll wait and see if the other cucumbers get any more palatable.

Hi,

You should have been pulling the male flowers off to stop pollination, pollinated cucumbers are bitter.

Oh bugger...

:o

Thank-you. Roll on next year...

What a corking blunder!

I found a 'lurker' cucumber yesterday.

It was a completely different colour to the others I had picked to taste. This 'Miniature White' had turned a lovely deep shade of golden yellow.

Guess what?

A beautiful sweet lemony taste.

:-[