odd shaped cukes

16 years ago

The first cucumbers I harvested this year were nice 8" cukes. I've been faithful to water them since planting the seeds even though the summer has been dry.(local spring that runs year around...lucky me) But as of late all my cukes are shaped like sixes...or small crooked neck squash. What's wrong?

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Comments (7)

yumamelon
16 years ago
It is probably poor pollination. Cut the cuke in half and inspect the carpels. If one or more are not fully developed than it is poor pollination.
Yuma
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justaguy2
16 years ago
My cukes are doing this as well and there are several varieties, some of which require no pollination.

I couldn't tell you why they do this other than they do ;-)

I suspect it's age and environment.
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chaman
16 years ago
I have the same experience with my cucumber plants.I believe one of the reasons could be longer periods of above average hot days and shorter periods of below average rain fall.This will put lot of stress on the growth process of the plants.
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marquette
16 years ago
My trellised cukes have that problem too, sometimes. I'm watering more now to see if water will make a difference. Those cukes are the long, skinny, oriental type with spines. Sweet and delicious.

The lemon cukes haven't produced edible-sized cukes yet, but with more water, the fruits are now getting bigger (as opposed to dropping off or whatever happened to them before irrigation). Around here, it's a very dry summer. But, aaaaaaah, all that lovely sun. So long as the water well does not run dry...... Sorry, rambling a bit....
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yumamelon
16 years ago
If parth varieties do get pollinated they can show the same symptoms. Also is a symptom of high temperature and low moisture because the pollen dries out before it can totally pollinate.
Yuma
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barrie2m_(6a, central PA)
16 years ago
I thought it might be due to water or drought too but successive plantings always perform better under similar conditions so plant age must be involved somehow. One thing I have noticed is that the incidence of curled/misshaped fruit seems higher in vines that are lacking in healthy foliar growth.

I'd have to agree with Justaguy that age and environment(including picking roughness)are to blame and plan for sucessive plantings to keep a sustained harvest in salable fruits coming. I'm harvesting yet from plants seeded in March but the harvest of good fruits is dwindling from that planting.
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diggity_ma
16 years ago
I had the same problem this year. Just about everything else did really well this year, but it was the worst cuke season for me ever. Failure to set fruit and mis-shapen fruit. I was wondering if Colony Collapse Disorder in the bee population had anything to do with it. I have definitely noticed fewer bees this year, and I don't think I'm just imagining it. Even in the red clover, which they normally love, I'm hardly seeing any.

Or maybe not... everything else got pollinated just fine including apples, peaches, etc. Dunno.

-Diggity
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