I've seen people pollinate with a designated paint brush (clean obviously) and it doesn't stick to your finger as much cause no oil from your fingeres : )
Hot Dang!! thanks for the information. I always wonder about the different flowers on my cukes. Leaving it up to nature, I only get about 4-5 cukes on my plant and wondered how I can get more to produce. My bees aren't always around. Another thing I learn is that cukes are heavy nutrient utilizers. gonna try qtip...as I got fat fingers. cheers.
My cucumbers are mostly females and fewer males. I started hand pollinating yesterday and I look forward to a heavy crop. I pollinated like 20 female flowers.
I have crossed some Cucurbits when we run out of male flowers for pollination... Used a Kent pumpkin to pollinate a Black Jack Zucchini twice this year without any problems & have seen others do it in clips on you tube... Just thought I would share as it might work with the cucumbers as well as they are all in the Cucurbit family as far as I know..
@bnbob01 As far as I know it does not work with cucumbers at all. The reason is they are in the same family but not the same specie, They are just two genetically different. Kent pumpkin can pollinate a Zucchini and vise versa because they are in the same species (pepo) . Something like Butternut and zucchini would not cross either. I believe there are three spices of Cucurbits found in gardens.
Last frost was around the end of April, but the cucs did not get in the grow bags till much later in my 5/23/11 update they only had 1-2 true leaves, So just wait for it, I am sure yours will take off too, most the growth has been in the last two weeks. Little miracle grow bloom booster and 1 TBS of molasses to a gallon of water is all I have given them.
I planted 2 different varietys and have more cucumbers than I know what to do with ,,, didn't think about hand pollination ,, but it hasn't been an issue so far ...lol
@stymye Once the ones in the garden catch up I am afraid I will have that same issue. I have 4 varieties in the main garden. Muncher, tasty green, straight eight, and Armenian cucumbers
Just for those reading along the comments monoecious = Male and female flowers gynoecious= mostly all female flowers. so that it is a heavy producer. parthenocarpic = sets fruit without needing pollination. These are usually your seedless types
What variety ya got there Stephen ? I had some Diva in the GH that got loaded with males, and being gynoecious, that was a problem. Bad batch of seed. Good to see ya going at it again ! Bobby
@mhpgardener Diva should be - gynoecious, parthenocarpic meaning you should still have some set even without pollination. Though yea I am in the same boat, the variety in the video is Burpless hybrid bush and is gynoecious, which I did not know at the time I bought it. The burpless hybrid ( non bush) though is monoecious. So would have planted some other type next to it had I known.
I've seen people pollinate with a designated paint brush (clean obviously) and it doesn't stick to your finger as much cause no oil from your fingeres : )
AJBiddle7 6 days ago
Great video, I'm gonna try it with my cucumbers.
GrowSomethingGreen 2 months ago
Thank you. Very educational, plus, you have a nice voice.
alz123alz 5 months ago
Thank you. Very educational.
alz123alz 5 months ago
Hot Dang!! thanks for the information. I always wonder about the different flowers on my cukes. Leaving it up to nature, I only get about 4-5 cukes on my plant and wondered how I can get more to produce. My bees aren't always around. Another thing I learn is that cukes are heavy nutrient utilizers. gonna try qtip...as I got fat fingers. cheers.
Magesandrogue 6 months ago
My cucumbers are mostly females and fewer males. I started hand pollinating yesterday and I look forward to a heavy crop. I pollinated like 20 female flowers.
ZaphedBeebleBrox 7 months ago
@ZaphedBeebleBrox
Sounds like you are off to a great start on those cucs, hoping you harvest a truck load :)
MrStepheninKY 7 months ago
Good info, thanks. This will come in handy when I try cucumbers indoors in our system.
multiponics 7 months ago
I have crossed some Cucurbits when we run out of male flowers for pollination... Used a Kent pumpkin to pollinate a Black Jack Zucchini twice this year without any problems & have seen others do it in clips on you tube... Just thought I would share as it might work with the cucumbers as well as they are all in the Cucurbit family as far as I know..
Have a great one...
Rob
bnbob01 8 months ago
@bnbob01 As far as I know it does not work with cucumbers at all. The reason is they are in the same family but not the same specie, They are just two genetically different. Kent pumpkin can pollinate a Zucchini and vise versa because they are in the same species (pepo) . Something like Butternut and zucchini would not cross either. I believe there are three spices of Cucurbits found in gardens.
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago
Last frost was around the end of April, but the cucs did not get in the grow bags till much later in my 5/23/11 update they only had 1-2 true leaves, So just wait for it, I am sure yours will take off too, most the growth has been in the last two weeks. Little miracle grow bloom booster and 1 TBS of molasses to a gallon of water is all I have given them.
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago
Wow your cukes look great! Mine are still babies compared to yours. When was your last frost date there?
Tomdiana 8 months ago
Great video Stephen,Keep on doing what your doin:)
Gardenkid54 8 months ago
I planted 2 different varietys and have more cucumbers than I know what to do with ,,, didn't think about hand pollination ,, but it hasn't been an issue so far ...lol
stymye 8 months ago
@stymye Once the ones in the garden catch up I am afraid I will have that same issue. I have 4 varieties in the main garden. Muncher, tasty green, straight eight, and Armenian cucumbers
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago
Just for those reading along the comments monoecious = Male and female flowers gynoecious= mostly all female flowers. so that it is a heavy producer. parthenocarpic = sets fruit without needing pollination. These are usually your seedless types
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago
@MrStepheninKY Thanks! Good to know!
mediamaker2000 8 months ago
Thanks, excellent tip !!
NWOIS666 8 months ago
What variety ya got there Stephen ? I had some Diva in the GH that got loaded with males, and being gynoecious, that was a problem. Bad batch of seed. Good to see ya going at it again ! Bobby
mhpgardener 8 months ago
@mhpgardener Diva should be - gynoecious, parthenocarpic meaning you should still have some set even without pollination. Though yea I am in the same boat, the variety in the video is Burpless hybrid bush and is gynoecious, which I did not know at the time I bought it. The burpless hybrid ( non bush) though is monoecious. So would have planted some other type next to it had I known.
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago
nice video. :-) keep them comming.
ptboy4 8 months ago
@ptboy4 Thanks have some good videos planned coming to a youtube near you soon.
MrStepheninKY 8 months ago