bitter cucumber question

12 years ago

i've read on here that my bitter cukes are most likely the result of underwatering or the 25 straight days of triple digit weather. i read on another site that once a plant produces bitter cukes that it will always produce bitter cukes, is this really the case?? should i just get rid of the plants all together?

just some additonal background on the plants. they are in containers growing up a trellis, they are in potting mix (no mulch, i know i need it after reading on here), i water twice a day and fertilize once a week with MG, i live in west texas.

thanks for any advice!

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Comments (15)

homeend
12 years ago
yes yes
jean001a
12 years ago
You asked "i read on another site that once a plant produces bitter cukes that it will always produce bitter cukes, is this really the case?"

NO. that was a temporary glitch. When water is again sufficient the cukes will be fine.

When it's so very hot at my place, I rig temporary shade for my tomatoes and cukes.
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dyess_gardener
Original Author
12 years ago
that's disappointing to say the very least. are burpless supposed to lack the element that causes bitter taste? i have bonnie burpless hybrids planted.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
Patience.

Dan
dyess_gardener
Original Author
12 years ago
ok, so the bitterness should be gone so long as get them enough water.
chaman
12 years ago
Keep entire area covered by vines real wet.Hot ground without moisture will contribute to bitterness in the cucumbers.
dyess_gardener
Original Author
12 years ago
chaman, i;ve got them growing up a trellis and they are planted in pots. i mulched the pots this morning. i'm also looking at a drip irrigation system but it may not happen until next year
dyess_gardener
Original Author
12 years ago
livinginoz, 6 out of 6 plants that i bought have a genetic flaw? could this really be right? i don't know much about this stuff but in my situation with so much going against the plant as far as weather and moisture goes; it seems more likely that one of those factors would be responsible instead of genetic flaws.

i'm pretty open minded though so please explain this to me. i looked at the site you posted up but i didn't see anything about cucumbers on there (i didn't dig all through the site though so i could have missed it if it's there)

thanks for the advise
User
12 years ago
Hey dyess - I'm afraid it's true. Bitterness is a genetic flaw that is passed from generation to generation. I know it seems odd that you would get this in store bought seeds, but unfortunately the seedsmen don't really know when it's going to happen. I'm not saying that hot, dry weather can't cause bitterness in cucumbers, but when the cuc's ar bitter from the get-go, they're probably going to stay that way. I've had this happen to me several times, and as a seed saver it's a real bummer.

I don't have anything on the blog about cucumbers, but I do have some other articles on seed saving you might be interested in and I teach classes on seed saving.

Let me know how your cuc's do as the summer goes on, I'd be interested to know.
dyess_gardener
Original Author
12 years ago
so if i understand it right; it could be from genetics but it could also be from the heat/ lack of water? so if i water them more regularly and it doesn't get better, then i can say genetics is the cause?

LOL, am i all backwards in my thinking on this one??
JessicaARZ8
12 years ago
I can't add much help to this discussion, but I'm RIGHT there with you, dyess. I plucked my first Straight 8 off the vine today and it was horrible. I picked a smaller one, just to see if size made a difference and it was a little more tolerable, but still a hint of bitterness. Disappointing to say the least. I, too, live in a very hot climate and we've seen the triple digits for several weeks, too. I sure am hoping that's what's causing the bitterness, but I guess only time will tell. That and more possibly unappetizing bites of cucumber. ;)
tdscpa
12 years ago
Bitter cucumbers result from planting the wrong variety!

I grow a variety that has never produced a bitter cucumber for me, no matter how much I water it or how hot it gets.
JessicaARZ8
12 years ago
For those of you who say it's the variety, PLEASE share this wisdom with us. Which cukes should we plant next year to steer clear of the bitterness??
mindyrecycles
12 years ago
My first couple of regular cucumbers were good but once it got hot they went bitter and I pulled the vine up. I also have some pickling cucumbers going and while they are not bursting with flavor, they aren't bitter. I have some seeds coming and will plant for early fall as well.

I, too, would be interested in the name of the variety that is never bitter.
tmlgn
12 years ago
This is a very interesting discussion. This is the hottest and driest spring/summer on record here and I have had only one one cucumber out of many that was bitter.

My understanding was that bitterness was primarily environmental. We only grow a pickling cucumber (National Pickles this year, usually Homemade Pickles, but that's a different story). We like to make pickles (hot-water bath, fermented, and ice-box) and we also eat them raw. However, all my gardening friends grow slicers and have the same complaint of bitter, inedible cucumbers. Admittedly the picklers have a somewhat different taste and texture, but they seem to work under these extreme conditions. Also, I keep them under optimal soil moisture conditions, harvest them every day, and the ones that are the least bit overgrown go to the chickens without a taste test from us.

Tom Logan