I'm a novice veg grower - this is only my 2nd year and I have a question about cucubits.

Last year I bought all female cucumbers so the question didn't come up. But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female courgettes growing. I'm sure I read somewhere that I should cut off the male cucumber flowers as female pollinated fruit becomes bitter. Should I do the same for the courgettes?

I also read this morning that I should hand pollinate female courgette flowers with the male. But I was wondering if it's possible that an insect landing on the male courgette flower could then pollinate a female cucumber flower?

Is this a daft question or a valid point? Any help would be appreciated as I'm a little confused.

Tracey

In article ,
Kitanda wrote:

I'm a novice veg grower - this is only my 2nd year and I have a question
about cucubits.

Last year I bought all female cucumbers so the question didn't come up.
But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female
courgettes growing. I'm sure I read somewhere that I should cut off the
male cucumber flowers as female pollinated fruit becomes bitter. Should
I do the same for the courgettes?

I also read this morning that I should hand pollinate female courgette
flowers with the male. But I was wondering if it's possible that an
insect landing on the male courgette flower could then pollinate a
female cucumber flower?

Is this a daft question or a valid point? Any help would be appreciated
as I'm a little confused.

Tracey

It's a daft question.

Cucurbits inn the garden produce both male and female flowers on the
same plant, and they all rely on a pollinator, most often the honey bee.
If there are no bees, and you see small immature fruit browning, you may
want to take the petals off of one of the male flowers (the ones with
the long stems), and pollinate the female flowers (short stem), and
pollinate it in the traditional manner (it will be obvious).
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination between courgette and cucumber?

Kitanda wrote:
I'm a novice veg grower - this is only my 2nd year and I have a
question about cucubits.

Last year I bought all female cucumbers so the question didn't come
up.

I doubt this, I have not heard of any cucumber that was dioecious.


But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female
courgettes growing. I'm sure I read somewhere that I should cut off
the male cucumber flowers as female pollinated fruit becomes bitter.
Should I do the same for the courgettes?


This is not right.

I also read this morning that I should hand pollinate female courgette
flowers with the male.

Only if you have no bees to do the job.

But I was wondering if it's possible that an
insect landing on the male courgette flower could then pollinate a
female cucumber flower?


That is how it normally works.

David

Kitanda wrote:
Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination
between courgette and cucumber?

It isn't a problem.

David

In article ,
Kitanda wrote:

Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination between
courgette and cucumber?

Have you met Frank? I think you'd like Frank. He is a courgette X
cucumber, cross pollinating kinda guy. Every time I see one of Frank's
posts, I always think that he should go pollinate himself.

But to the nut of your question, ah, there he is again, but Frank aside,
cucurbits only cross pollinate between the same species, not genera.
Courgettes are Cucurbita pepo, and cucumbers are Cucumis sativus.
Different species, different genera. You have less chance of a
pollination between the two, than ol' "ferret face" looking intelligent.
Yes, I am a naught boy, and I deserve a good spanking. I wonder if
"sweety" is still up?
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Kitanda said:



I'm a novice veg grower - this is only my 2nd year and I have a question
about cucubits.

Last year I bought all female cucumbers so the question didn't come up.
But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female
courgettes growing. I'm sure I read somewhere that I should cut off the
male cucumber flowers as female pollinated fruit becomes bitter.

Are you sure that the cucumber variety you are growing this year will set
fruit without pollination?

Should
I do the same for the courgettes?

Courgettes generally don't grow fruit without pollination. The flower
drops, the incipent fruit eventually withers/rots/drops off. It's a major
problem for some gardeners, which is why you run across instructions
for hand-pollinating them.


I also read this morning that I should hand pollinate female courgette
flowers with the male. But I was wondering if it's possible that an
insect landing on the male courgette flower could then pollinate a
female cucumber flower?

No. Entirely different genera.

It's *possible* but unlikely to get natural crosses between plants in the
same genus.

Is this a daft question or a valid point?

Honestly, a bit daft, toward the end.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

email valid but not regularly monitored

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Kitanda wrote:
Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination
between courgette and cucumber?

It isn't a problem.

David

BECAUSE, IT WON'T HAPPEN.

Cross-pollination occurs freely between all varieties within a species.
As a general rule, cross-pollination will not occur between different
species. The squashes are the exception; where pepo crosses with minta
and moschato; and moschato will cross with maxima. Plantings should be
isolated from each other to prevent cross-pollination via insects or the
wind.

http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/al...CH31%20Cross%2
0Pollination%20in%20Cucurbits.pdf
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Kitanda wrote:
Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination
between courgette and cucumber?

It isn't a problem.

David

BECAUSE, IT WON'T HAPPEN.


Did you think that I was making vague content-free noises of REASSURANCE, or
were you WORRIED that nobody would get THE TRUE MESSAGE (TM)?

Take two tablespoons of white oil and have a lie down, it will stop the
shouting.


David

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Billy wrote:
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Kitanda wrote:
Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination
between courgette and cucumber?

It isn't a problem.

David

BECAUSE, IT WON'T HAPPEN.


Did you think that I was making vague content-free noises of REASSURANCE, or
were you WORRIED that nobody would get THE TRUE MESSAGE (TM)?

Take two tablespoons of white oil and have a lie down, it will stop the
shouting.


David

You sure are turning into a cranky ol' sot. What's got your knicker in a
knot? I knew quite clearly what you meant, but it seemed that Kitanda
wasn't getting the drift. When she comes back all full of
self-indignation, you can have her. OK?
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html