Im growing cucumbers for the first time this year (in the greenhouse, uk). I have a Passandra F1 plant which has around 30 cucumbers growing on it at the moment, they are half size cucumbers and are ment to be around 6-7" but how will i know when they are ready to pick or is it just a guess when they look big enough, would the cucumber be ruined by picking it to early or late. Im really excited as the plant is growing really fast and producing an amazing amount of cucumbers I cant belive you can have so many on such a small plant.

you can see the plant in the top left of this photo, I have it growing at the same angle as the greenhouse roof as the isnt enough space to have it growing straight

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Erm, i grow weed mate, not cucumbers. Pick em when they're ripe? I dunno.

And your pic confused me coz theres weed there too, so is cucumber code name? I dunno, im fucked, im trying to work this one out mate but i come back to the same thing - i smoke weed.

You been smoking way to much!

There is weed there, and tomatoes and mellons and strawberrys and tobaco plants. I took the photo for another thread, I noticed it had the cucumbers in the picture and I dont have any way to take another one at the moment so thats why I had to use that photo.

Anyway, this thread is about the cucumber plant, I know I have to pick them when there ripe but how do i know when they are ripe?

About 2" diamater & 4"- 6" long. If you let them get to big & they will they will be full of seeds.

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It is better to be poor & have pot than to be rich & have none.

I would assume they'd be a darker green, soft but still firm if you know what i mean, erm, there has to be a google answer, hang on:

Waheyyy, look at this, i was right


Pick cucumbers when they are dark green and firm. For slicing cucumbers, pick when they are six to eight inches long. Do not let cucumbers turn yellow. Check plants every other day for cucumbers that are ready to harvest. Cucumbers can grow from seed to harvest in 60 to 75 days.

hi OP

i think it could have been my thread you have seen cucumbers in ( grow-bag monthly).

today i harvested my first. and this is how i tell if my cumber is ready or not.

take cumber in hand and have a weight guess now being careful not too break the skin squeese lightly.

Dark hard skin good weight = roughly at its best

Dark to lighter soft skin good weight = good too go also

yellowing skin good weight = can be picked but gone past its best.

how too get the best from your cucumber plant. hmmm thats a hard question but my first time this year i pinched out all flowers once i had around 5-8 cucumbers forming you want the plant too now place all energy into getting those fruits fat and full of water. using the cucumber house idea can be better, your pic is ideal. now your cucumber is on the box raised up. next time round place cucmber plant into ground or even a growbag. a good stake or too for plant too climb. once it get high enough then train into center of roof apex like you have this way fruit will stay of ground and no problem of fruit rot.

nip out female flowers and male flowers you dont have too remove all but this will force plant into fruit building. you will need too do this every other day as you will find they realy do make alot of flowers. WATER these drink the stuff and the fruit is all water so more you water the better but in moderation dont drown your plants !!!

i have long green ridge cucumbers and tend too pick them at around 20-28cm long. pick just before the tip of cucumber starts too yellow will try get a pic uploaded of my first harvest so you can rough guess yours

these two are roughly about 1 maybe two week away from harvest both are roughly around 9/10 inch long and a good healthy weight these cumbers are long green ridge. last week these cumbers you see in link was around 4 inch long and about as thick as your thumb.

from the look of your cumbers you have a good two/three weeks for yours beef up. these next few weeks you will notice a big difference every other day in size of fruits i check my GH everyday for unwanted squatters/hobo's (snails slugs and other beastys) and see a the difference .

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They are past their best.

__________________
It is better to be poor & have pot than to be rich & have none.