Should We Talk, Cukes?

[digitS']

I can usually have a good cucumber year. Maybe 1 year outta 7 will not turn out so well. It might have been those years when I tried a new-to-me variety that left a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak . Actually, there was a time when I thought that cucumbers might be like radishes - things I couldn't eat without indigestion. Ha! One of the joys of gardening ... learning that harvesting and freshness make a world of difference at the table .

I've also learned that keeping soil moisture up for the cucumber plants is important. For me, that means planting them close to the sprinklers.

"Matilde," @jackb says on another thread. I don't have any new ones this year. I do have my favorites, tho'. I'll toss Lemon cukes into that basket mostly because they are fairly unique. Speedway, too - it's a rather conventional American slicer but hasn't failed me yet.

I like Talladega. Just a powerhouse of real nice cucumbers ..! Named for an Alabama town, I don't know why it likes it here. Maybe it likes it everywhere.

Muncher was the first Biet Alpha type (outta 2) that did well for me. I stopped looking after that . That type is a little small and kinda hard to hold onto as I'm rolling down the road in the Dodge but that's okay. Flavor is more than okay!

I've got another row of cukes I can put in. Certainly not too late - the vines kinda play out in September. How about you? Got some cukes planted? Want some more vines out there?

Steve

 

[jackb]

Steve wrote: "I've also learned that keeping soil moisture up for the cucumber plants is important." I could not agree more! The six plants in the greenhouse are drawing five gallons of water a day from the reservoir on hot sunny days. I filled it late yesterday afternoon and I am about to refill it now.
jackb

 

[Beekissed]

For the past two years we have planted an heirloom variety of cuke called Boston picklers. We wanted the smaller cukes for a single serving type meal, not for pickling. We found these to produce more than we could keep up with, healthy and fast growing, and keep producing well into the end of the season. They are a short, fat cuke with medium green skin that's not too thick, not too thin.

I don't eat them much but Mom says she likes their flavor, so that's a good point for this variety.

 

[Hal]

Richmond River Green Apple, Crystal Apple and Lemon. The three apple cucumbers from down under, easily eaten out of hand and I've never had a bad Crystal or Green Apple and they are high yield and great for people who can't usually eat cucumbers due to bitterness or digestion issues.
Crystal Apple has held on over in the mainstream but the Green is touch and go in mail order and Lemon was gone from down under for decades only to be reintroduced from the USA.

 

[digitS']

Richmond Green Apple is at Southern Exposure and Fedco.

Crystal Apple is at Baker Creek and Burpee .

I don't pickle but with @HunkieDorie23 's recipe, that might be changing . Started A Small Batch of Pickles.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

Pureed cukes are a great addition to soup. Cucumber soup is out of it's mind good. A very subtle taste. Good to remember when you are in cucumber overload.

 

[Beekissed]

All this rain and hot weather has our cukes growing like crazy...a whole foot in one week.

 

[valley ranch]

Do any 4 legged creatures go after your cukes, the vine or don't you have them there?

I'm wondering if I can grow them outside the fenced area.

 

[Beekissed]

I have plenty of 4 legged critters in these woods that would love to eat this garden, but I have a Jake. Anything that gets in his boundary is his next meal. It's not uncommon for us to find dead possums in the yard...the other day we had 10 dead baby possums in the yard...never did find the mama, one day he was eating a whole rabbit and left nothing behind...not even any hair, he killed his first coon at 5 mo. of age and a groundhog in that same week as well. He kills voles, moles, mice, etc.

He was a free pup but I wouldn't trade him for any amount of money.

 

[valley ranch]

Good for Jake! That's a pretty tough puppy to kill a coon!