Cucumbers Run Amuck!

cwilson · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Waxahachie,TX

Help! My cucumbers are taking over my garden! They all have a bunch of flowers but they are growing so fast I am worried they are going to overrun my Bells and Lettuce. Should I trim them back or leave them be? If they won't strangle out the rest of my garden I will leave them be. They have already started to invade my yard. :shock:

CaptainCompostAL · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 863 Location: Irondale,Alabama

Can you put poles and string up, and let them grow vertically like tomatoes?

Also are you feeding them a high nitrogen food like fish emulsion, blood meal, etc.? If so, then stop. Let it continue to grow from the food left in the soil, compost, and/or organic mulch.

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1986 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

Put up an arbor or a trellis and let the fruit hang.

cwilson · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Waxahachie,TX

No, I haven't given them anything extra I just gave them a dose of organic fertilizer about a month or so ago and nothing since then. I will have to try the trellis idea but it is going to be hard because I have some vines that are 10ft long. :shock:

dragonfly · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:45 pm Post subject:

My cucumbers have been prolific this year too. It's difficult to contain them, and I wish my trellises were taller. Next year, they will be grown on cattle panels formed into an arch over their bed. I have cukes coming out my ears, and have been trying to give them away. I guess that's better than none, huh?

Mr. Clean · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 708 Location: Garland, Texas

dragonfly wrote: ... I have cukes coming out my ears, and have been trying to give them away. I guess that's better than none, huh?

Yeah, the only thing wrong with this picture is...I'm not your next door neighbor :lol:

Cool ID too dragonfly!

dragonfly · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2003 7:46 pm Post subject:

Well, Mr Clean, just move on out to Parker County (everyone else seems to be, lol), and you can have all the cukes you want. I have made pickle relish, sweet pickles, Chinese refridgerator pickles, sliced in salads, eaten with just salad dressing, given them away, and still have some in the fridge. I'm not complaining though, because last year, my cucumbers were pitiful due to the cuke beetles. They don't seem to have found the plants yet, so I'm going to get what I can out of them before they do.

cwilson · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Waxahachie,TX

I have more flowers on my vines than I can count right now but no cucumbers yet. So I am am going to have this huge explosion of cucumbers all at one time. Funny thing is I do not eat cucumbers do not like the taste. However my wife and three year old love them. So they will have plenty to eat. :D

dragonfly · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 5:06 pm Post subject:

Do you have pollinators? If you have that many flowers and no cukes, check and make sure your plants are being pollinated. If not, you need to check into hand-pollinating or do like I did and become a beekeeper, which in my opinion, is the best pollination method.

Mr. Clean · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 708 Location: Garland, Texas

Alright dragonfly, I'm moving to Parker County. Cucumbers and honey, wow what a neighbor you make! :lol:

BTW if you are searching for cucumber recipes, send me a post, I might just have one or two.

dragonfly · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 9:00 pm Post subject:

Yes! I need cucumber recipes. You can only use so many jars of relish and pickles. I have to go pick cukes in the morning and I'm sure I'll come in with another bucketful. Any recipes are appreciated. As for the honey, it doesn't look like it will be a good honey year. I think the dry Spring we had made many of the wildflowers a poor nectar source, but the bees are managing to put up enough honey stores that they can survive. We'll see come Fall.

cwilson · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Waxahachie,TX

Well my Corn,Tomatoes, and Peppers are producing fruit and I have seen bees, lady bugs and various other insects roaming around so I would say yes. I would love to see some cucumbers soon though. :D

dragonfly · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 8:10 am Post subject:

corn, tomatoes, and peppers don't need pollinators, so check your cucumber flowers, specifically, to make sure bees are pollinating them. They will most likely be in the cucumber flowers from about 9am for most of the day. If you have plenty of honeybees, they will be in the cukes persistently going from flower to flower.

cwilson · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 157 Location: Waxahachie,TX

dragonfly wrote: corn, tomatoes, and peppers don't need pollinators, so check your cucumber flowers, specifically, to make sure bees are pollinating them. They will most likely be in the cucumber flowers from about 9am for most of the day. If you have plenty of honeybees, they will be in the cukes persistently going from flower to flower.

Wow, I did not know that! :shock: I have not seen a great number of honeybees in my area so what can I do to help my cucumbers and watermelons along? I really would like to see the fruits of my labor. :D Sorry couldn't resist. BTW my wife and neighbors would shoot me if I started to keep bees.

Dancey · Joined: 07 Jun 2003 Posts: 37 Location: Central Texas

Usually if you have other flowering plants the bees will be there. :D I wasn't able to have a veggie garden this year due to time but I have lots and lots of flower plants and lots and lots of bees. I think next year I'll try and grow some cukes! :wink: They sure sound good!!

Dancey
South Central Tx.
Zone 8b