wax gourd (winter melon)
 

Anyone grow Chinese wax gourds? I have a terrible time growing cukes because of beetles. Once I remove the row cover for pollination, cukes get eaten alive and die from wilt.

So, I've thought about trying to grow wax gourds as a possible mild tasting cuke substitute. I grew luffa last year, but they didn't grow too well because of the cool weather.

Never grown them, but I do have one currently sitting in my "pantry" -- a closet in my dining room that has two outside walls and doubles as a sort of root cellar. One of my husband's customers gave if to him and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it.

Have you considered trying a parthenocarpic cucumber (variety that does not need pollination) so you could just leave them covered?

I've thought about the parthenocarpic varieties, but I try to save my seed from year to year. Which ones specifically would you recommend?

I don't grow any parthenocarpic varieties, so I'm no help there. I just thought if your beetle population is that bad it might be your only alternative. Or manually pollinating non parthenocarpic varieties, but that would require daily morning trips to do the bees work. FWIW, I grow English telegraph improved and Sweeter Yet hybrid.

Armenian cukes are prolific,hardy and,IMO,better tasting than regular cukes. Sweet, never bitter and skin is tender.
Not sure how they do with SVBs but they were extremely prolific for me in AZ, esp in the shade.