My parthenocarpic cucumber project version 3.0
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YSEF
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My parthenocarpic cucumber project version 3.0
All,
I'm beginning my 3rd summer growing Row7's 7082 Experimental Cucumber. This is a gynoecious and parthenocarpic variety intentionally bred to bring some natural bitterness back to the fruit (although I find these cukes far from bitter if grown well).
Year one: Decided to use laundry baskets and a small gravity fed irrigation system through the lower 1/3 of each barrel. Barrels were filled with coco coir (mostly), layered with worm casings, had large holes in the bottom with real earth down there and the whole barrel sunk a couple inches into the ground.
8 barrels, 3 plants each, outdoors in a wooden framed structure (being outdoors defeats the purpose of going seedless, but in this high volume many cukes do not get pollinated). I also had a small netted raised bed with several plants so I could observe how those did (and they were better).
Year two: Same barrel setup, irrigation, growing media.
24 barrels, 2 plants each, in hoophouse in specially constructed net house. Also 12 in-ground plants in hoophouse. This resulted in significant waste. I could not keep up, I could not harvest and sell and give away enough cucumbers.
Year three:
Same barrel setup, irrigation, growing media.
17 barrels, 2 plants each, in hoophouse in specially constructed net house.
I have a 5 lb per week commitment to provide cucumbers to a fine restaurant here in the village, a half mile from my hoop. This should leave some for neighbors and ourselves. The first restaurant harvest was today. These are all today's pics.
Happy to answer any questions! (I've learned a little bit about gynoecious and parthenocarpic cukes in this process!). Take care!
o
I'm beginning my 3rd summer growing Row7's 7082 Experimental Cucumber. This is a gynoecious and parthenocarpic variety intentionally bred to bring some natural bitterness back to the fruit (although I find these cukes far from bitter if grown well).
Year one: Decided to use laundry baskets and a small gravity fed irrigation system through the lower 1/3 of each barrel. Barrels were filled with coco coir (mostly), layered with worm casings, had large holes in the bottom with real earth down there and the whole barrel sunk a couple inches into the ground.
8 barrels, 3 plants each, outdoors in a wooden framed structure (being outdoors defeats the purpose of going seedless, but in this high volume many cukes do not get pollinated). I also had a small netted raised bed with several plants so I could observe how those did (and they were better).
Year two: Same barrel setup, irrigation, growing media.
24 barrels, 2 plants each, in hoophouse in specially constructed net house. Also 12 in-ground plants in hoophouse. This resulted in significant waste. I could not keep up, I could not harvest and sell and give away enough cucumbers.
Year three:
Same barrel setup, irrigation, growing media.
17 barrels, 2 plants each, in hoophouse in specially constructed net house.
I have a 5 lb per week commitment to provide cucumbers to a fine restaurant here in the village, a half mile from my hoop. This should leave some for neighbors and ourselves. The first restaurant harvest was today. These are all today's pics.
Happy to answer any questions! (I've learned a little bit about gynoecious and parthenocarpic cukes in this process!). Take care!
o
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AKgardener
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- Joined: Fri May 22, 2020 1:28 pm
- Location: Alaska
Re: My parthenocarpic cucumber project version 3.0
I’m really impressed by your cucumbers I just learned about these and am growing them myself I just harvest my first 2 and they were amazing! I have a question some of then turn yellow at the tip should I let them go or take them off is it normal. And is there any special care or fertilizer and do they tend produce at once . Sorry million questions but first time growing these varieties well any cucumber haha cause never been able to grow them until now
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YSEF
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- Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 12:49 pm
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Re: My parthenocarpic cucumber project version 3.0
I also had never been able to grow cucurbits outside because of pests!
*ANY hint of yellow* on these guys means seeds have developed and bitterness will take off. I have a high tolerance for bitterness, but do not let this cuke get too big or even a hint of yellow on the bottom - that's my advice.
One help with pests is that in the summer I'm out there checking my plants and removing bad guys one-by-one. I'm grateful to have that time. According to scientific reports I've read, most cuke plants can sustain about one cuke beetle per plant, and my goal is to go out there and make sure it is zero.
Also, in terms of fertilzer - I don't use much. I layer two 1/4" think stripes of worm castings in-between the coir, which as I said is on top of dirt. I also do two applications as the plants are growing of nitrozime and fossil fuel liquid fert), but otherwise do little else.
I don't have shade cloth and am lucky that the west part of the hoop gets some shade by 5 pm. On sunny days I water (from above or below) usually about 3 times!!
Good luck and I'll answer any questions!
*ANY hint of yellow* on these guys means seeds have developed and bitterness will take off. I have a high tolerance for bitterness, but do not let this cuke get too big or even a hint of yellow on the bottom - that's my advice.
One help with pests is that in the summer I'm out there checking my plants and removing bad guys one-by-one. I'm grateful to have that time. According to scientific reports I've read, most cuke plants can sustain about one cuke beetle per plant, and my goal is to go out there and make sure it is zero.
Also, in terms of fertilzer - I don't use much. I layer two 1/4" think stripes of worm castings in-between the coir, which as I said is on top of dirt. I also do two applications as the plants are growing of nitrozime and fossil fuel liquid fert), but otherwise do little else.
I don't have shade cloth and am lucky that the west part of the hoop gets some shade by 5 pm. On sunny days I water (from above or below) usually about 3 times!!
Good luck and I'll answer any questions!