My first cucumber is just about ready for harvesting. This is Bella which is an F1 variety and has been bred to only produce female flowers, so there's none of the hassle of having to remove the males. I also sowed the seeds of a variety called Cucino, which is a small mini cucumber. I thought it would be ideal for lunch boxes but I haven't been as lucky with that one. The seeds germinated ok but the plants have just given up. I sowed a second batch of seed but the same thing happened to them. Cucumber seed is so expensive too. The Bella seeds should have cost £4.45 for the packet which contained four seeds. Luckily I got them in the Wyevale sale for 50p, bargain.The strawberries are continuing to produce really well, much to my daughter's delight. She's taking them to school every day to have with her lunch. The plants have been netted to stop the birds from taking them and I haven't come across any slug damaged ones either.
My allotment has been a little neglected this year, mainly due to the fact that the kids have taken on more out of school activities which demand my time, and also because we couldn't get a head start at the beginning of the year because of the bad weather. It's looking very weedy and overgrown at the moment so we're spending quite a bit of time down there trying to get it ship shape. I still haven't got my squash in, but I'll hopefully find time this coming week to do that.
That is a very impressive cucumber. I am trying to grow some this year for the first time in ages. I started mine quite late though so no sign of any actual cucumbers as yet.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first cucumber! Next year I will grow them in the greenhouse also.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know that seeds are so expensive in UK. That is a lot of money for just a few seeds.
Good thing your strawberries are producing. Mine stopped, but then I have cut off half of the leaves on them. Now there are again flowering.
Wow, that's a good cucumber. I don't even think mine are at the flower stage!
ReplyDeleteSu
Lovely cuke! I also bought a garden centre one last year - I think £4 - £5 for a pack of half a dozen seeds (if you're lucky!) is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteGrowing Crystal Lemon this year but they are outdoors so they'll never catch up on yours!
Fab cucumber, well done and well done on your strawberries too, we have a grand total of 3 at home to eat so far :-( Hey ho. I know what you mean, with kiddies it is hard to get all these things done and run a home too.
ReplyDeleteWell done! I've had no luck at all trying to grow cucumbers and I usually end up being given one or two by generous plot neighbours!
ReplyDeleteMuch as I like strawberries I'm waiting for the raspberries.
Have a good weekend! Flighty xx
Gosh Jo how impressive - when did you start the seeds off? Mine have a long way to go yet and are not even showing flowers. Shame about the Cucino - I have grown that variety in the past and they were great. Glad that the strawberries are going down well - I'm beginning to think that I never want to look another one in the face again:)
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a lovely cucumber Jo, my plants are just starting to grow as the first ones i did got a serious bout of sunburn one day when I didn't open the greenhouse early enough, hope mine come out looking half as good as yours!
ReplyDeleteNowhere near to having cucumbers yet. Like you just lots of strawberries and very few damaged.
ReplyDeleteI had thought of tying the mini cucumbers but didn't buy any seed so didn't get round to it! Maybe next year.
wow...your cucumber looks great....do you always grow them in pots up sticks?? I just grow mine and let them crawl along the ground...are there benefits to growing them your way?
ReplyDeleteLooks like the good weather is here to stay for a while so I wish you luck with your weeding!
what an impressive specimen! that cucumber looks enviable, but sorry about the other lot. strawberries going good at my lottie too but, like flightplot, I am also looking forward to raspberry season much more :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome !
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!
ReplyDeleteJo, Your cucumber is very impressive! I wonder why the seeds are so expensive in the UK? I grow cukes, also, but they wont produce for a few weeks yet. I must do a veg. garden post so you can see how mine is progressing. Take care. Pam x
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it won't be long until you have some cucumbers, Mark. This warm weather is certainly helping to bring things on.
ReplyDeleteI always grow my cucumbers in the greenhouse, Vrtlarica. We don't eat many though, so one plant is usually sufficient for us.
Cucumbers don't take long to grow once you start getting flowers, Su. You'll be eating them in no time.
I grew Crystal Lemon last year, Vegetable Heaven. One plant produced lots of cucumbers, but I couldn't get round the fact that they didn't actually look like a cucumber so I gave them a miss this year.
It's still a little early for some strawberries, Scented Sweetpeas, so there's still plenty of time for the plants to produce more.
I always grow my cucumbers in the greenhouse, Flighty. It's good to have generous plot neighbours, they're usually happy to swap produce. I would rather have strawberries over raspberries, but I hope your's start producing for you soon.
I started the seeds off on 14th February, Anna. I know it was very early, but the gamble paid off. It is a shame about the Cucino, I was looking forward to those.
I'm sure your plants will soon catch up, HappyPlotter. I forgot to close my greenhouse one night earlier in the year. Luckily everything was fine.
I'll give the mini cucumbers a go again next year, Green Lane Allotments. I'm really miffed that they didn't grow.
I always grow my cucumbers this way, Tanya. It keeps the fruit clean and also saves on space as my greenhouse is only 4X6. My dad always used to grow his cucumbers in his coldframe and let them sprawl.
Glad to hear that you're getting plenty of strawberries, Steph. It won't be long until it's raspberry season now.
Thanks, Lucky Seven. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.
Thanks, Dirty Girl Gardening. It's grown to a decent size, and there's now more on the plant following the first.
I think the all female variety is more expensive, Pam. You don't have all the hassle of removing the male flowers with these. I look forward to reading your veg garden post.
Oh my! I'm so impressed by your cucumber! Mine are still just little bitty gherkins. But you've given me a peak at what's to come. I'm so excited! I'm also impressed by all your strawbs. We just planted them for the first time this year and I hear we'll have to wait til next year to really get much out of them.
ReplyDeleteI've now had the second cucumber off the plant, Monica, and that was bigger than the first. My strawberries are in their second year and have given a much bigger crop than they did last year. Hope your's do as well for you.
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