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.