[dommy]

Hello all, I would like to grow some cucumbers next year outdoors in the garden.

Have been looking around for seeds and they are quite expensive. Usually only 5 come in a packet for £3.

Does anyone know why they are so expensive and if only 5 seeds are given what is the sucess of germination. Ie, am i guarnateed to get 5 healthy plants?

Is there no way to harvest cucumber seed?

Eg Cucumber 'Femspot' F1 cost £3.45 for 5 seeds.

Thanking you in advance.

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 15:41:54 GMT, dommy
wrote:

Hello all, I would like to grow some cucumbers next year outdoors in the
garden.

Have been looking around for seeds and they are quite expensive.
Usually only 5 come in a packet for £3.

Does anyone know why they are so expensive and if only 5 seeds are
given what is the sucess of germination. Ie, am i guarnateed to get 5
healthy plants?

Is there no way to harvest cucumber seed?

Eg Cucumber 'Femspot' F1 cost £3.45 for 5 seeds.


It looks as if you're in the UK from your address and use of
the pound sign.

The British cucumbers that I've seen are pretty much
seedless - they contain few to no seeds. This would, I
assume, account for their seeds being so expensive.

The cucumbers commonly grown in the USA are full of seeds
and they're not as nice as the English ones, really, but the
seeds are cheap.

You could probably buy American cucumber seeds from an
American seed company. They like hot weather, but they'd
grow all right in most parts of the UK (which has been hot
this summer in any case).

I bet you wouldn't like American cukes, though. My (English
ex-pat) husband likes them now, but it took quite a while
for him to become accustomed to them and he'd still prefer
the English-style cucumbers.

Otherwise, the expensive seeds would certainly be worth
starting indoors to try for maximum germination.

Pat

dommy wrote:

Hello all, I would like to grow some cucumbers next year outdoors in the
garden.
Have been looking around for seeds and they are quite expensive.
Usually only 5 come in a packet for £3.
Does anyone know why they are so expensive and if only 5 seeds are
given what is the sucess of germination. Ie, am i guarnateed to get 5
healthy plants?
Is there no way to harvest cucumber seed?
Eg Cucumber 'Femspot' F1 cost £3.45 for 5 seeds.
Thanking you in advance.
--
dommy

Dommy, you are looking at some expensive seed there. You don't really
need that kind of seed. I don't know what seed companies you have
available but I'm sure you could order from Thompson and Morgan.
They have some that are not quite so expensive (mixed in with some very
expensive types). Look at the one at the bottom of this page:
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds/uk/list_c_49.html

My personal favorite is "Sweet Success". It is expensive by American
cucumber standards but I love it. It gets BIG and is still tender and
seedless in my growing conditions. You might try that one if you can
find it.

Steve in the Adirondacks of northern NY

[dommy]

Thanks for the replies pat and steve.

I was looking at the online catalogue at

www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

They dont charge any P&p unlike Thompson and morgon.

I think i will go for these ones:

Cucumber 'Telepathy' F1 (Code 0600)
ONLY FROM MR FOTHERGILL'S IN THE UK! An improvement on 'Telegraph' producing earlier, longer cues which average 16 - 20 inches. Dark green with occasional very small white spines.

Approx. 10 seeds.

Shopline

Price: £1.69

Since i was looking for the long cucumber type and these seem to offer best value i think.

Anyways does anyone know if I can grow this variety outside or do i need a greenhouse for that variety? cheers

dommy wrote:

Hello all, I would like to grow some cucumbers next year outdoors in
thegarden.

Have been looking around for seeds and they are quite expensive. Usually
only 5 come in a packet for £3.

Does anyone know why they are so expensive and if only 5 seeds aregiven
what is the sucess of germination. Ie, am i guarnateed to get 5healthy
plants?

Is there no way to harvest cucumber seed?

Eg Cucumber 'Femspot' F1 cost £3.45 for 5 seeds.

They are cultivated F1 hybrids, and will have been treated.. The markup
by the big seed co's is also a LOT..

Try going into Woolworths, or Wilkinsons and you will find cheaper or
go for the older 'non hybrid' cucumbers.. For suppliers try starting
here and email for some catalogues..

The reason that they are so expensive is that F1's are time consuming to
produce compared to normal seed. The advantage of these 'modern seeds'
is that the cucumber plants are 'all female' (or more likly to be) in
some older varieties it is necessary to keep the plants stress free
(tricky) and to pick off male flowers otherwise you will get many seed
in your fruit and this will make them bitter..

Thus the preference is for 'all female' F1 hybrid cultivars.

http://directory.google.com/Top/Regi...ngdom/Business
_and_Economy/Shopping/Home_and_Garden/Gardens/Plants/Seeds/

I can recommend Chilterns, Tamar, The ORganic Gardening Catalogue,
Thomas Etty Esq and Vidaverde & Future Foods
to name but a few...

If you are in the UK you have PLENTY of time to decide which you want to
grow before next year.. The alternative of course is to wait till next
year and buy a few ready grown young plants.


Why not post in uk.rec.gardening as well (if you're in the UK you may
find the answers geographically more relevant)
//
Jim

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 15:41:54 GMT, dommy
wrote:

Hello all, I would like to grow some cucumbers next year outdoors in the
garden.

Have been looking around for seeds and they are quite expensive.
Usually only 5 come in a packet for £3.

Does anyone know why they are so expensive and if only 5 seeds are
given what is the sucess of germination. Ie, am i guarnateed to get 5
healthy plants?

Is there no way to harvest cucumber seed?

Eg Cucumber 'Femspot' F1 cost £3.45 for 5 seeds.

'European' or 'English' cucumbers are usually greenhouse-grown and
seedless (who knows how seed companies get seeds!) USAsians mostly
grow open-polinated, 'field' cucumbers, which usually have heaps of
seeds -- even so-called 'seedless' varieties only have small and/or
late-developing seeds, and aren't usually seedless at all. Cucumbers
require a fair amount of hot weather, so I would look into those
requirements if you plan to plant outdoors in the UK.