General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
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March 18, 2015 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: AL
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Pickling Cukes
I need some help, please.
I grow regular cukes no problem at all Straight 8's and Marketmore's which are ones I enjoy. I several edlerly ladies who have asked me to grow them pickling cukes. I have tried the North Carolina Pickling and have a couple other types. For three years now I have been trying to grow pickler cukes and have failed miserably. I get some vines going and they seem to be doing well, I have even had a few flowers , and then zap, the vines all start dying. No powdery mildew on any of them, hunted all over and no bugs or eggs or anything, so I am totally puzzled. I planted out 60 vines last year and didn't get the first cuke. If they didn't want some so bad to eat and pickle up I would even bother with them, but they keep asking and I keep trying. Surely they can't be that much different than regular cukes, can they? Anybody grow picklers that can offer me some advice? I'm looking at this pickler seed and think "Oh No!" here we go again. Heck if I could even get one pickler cuke, I'd do a happy dance just cuz I would finally have one fruit in my hand. |
March 18, 2015 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Why not pickle the straight 8's and market mores?
Both can be used for pickling and slicing. The nasty green burpless cucumbers you see in the store you cant pickle with. Both are great cucumbers some of the best. |
March 18, 2015 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
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For at least the last ten years or so I've grown Snow's Fancy Pickling and it's been a cucumber machine for me. We've had cooler, wetter summers the last couple of years and I did have some mildew on them, but they still kept producing. I've made bread and butters and dills with them, as well. I don't do anything special in the garden. Just very consistent with watering and I use Garden Tone on them. Straw mulch helps keep the moisture in so they don't get bitter. Good luck!
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Michele |
March 18, 2015 | #4 | ||
Tomatovillian™
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Quote:
Heck if I could even find a big bushel of them for sale, I would buy them and give it to the ladies, but that is something I haven't seen for sale around here at the markets for years and years. I have no idea why not. You don't even see many jars of homemade bread and butter pickles and those are some of the best eating I think. Yum!!!! Quote:
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March 18, 2015 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Crystal Lake IL
Posts: 2,484
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I've just grown the picklebush, because I didn't have a ton of room. Squash vine borers getting you?
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Tracy |
March 18, 2015 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
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March 18, 2015 | #7 |
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There is one that I've been curious about called, "National Pickling". I've never grown pickling cucumbers, but would like to try this one.
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March 18, 2015 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Crystal Lake IL
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At my house, I couldn't grow anything with a vine - borers got them all. Down the road, my cukes did ok - I did put aluminum foil around the base of the vines. Maybe I just got lucky, dunno.
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Tracy |
March 18, 2015 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
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Salt, National Pickling is a great variety. So is Chicago Pickling, and Snow's is selection of Chicago Pickling.
Star, I just follow the directions on the bag. Once a month, 1/3 cup around the base of each vine (I grow mine on trellises so it's easy to find the base of the plant). When I have the straw on there, I just move the Garden Tone around with my hands to get it to go through the straw and down to the soil. In case you haven't used it, it's a granular and very easy to measure and use. I use it on the squash, as well. Same amounts.
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Michele |
March 18, 2015 | #10 | |
Tomatovillian™
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Quote:
To eat fresh I but the pickling cucumbers in the store. I detest those big green things, they should call them flavor wonders. You wonder where the flavor is. Worth |
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March 19, 2015 | #11 | |||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: AL
Posts: 1,993
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Quote:
I don't know if picklers are more susceptible to heat and humidity or not. It probably my fault. I think the seeds know I want them to grow really bad for these folks and just want to drive me crazy. Quote:
Quote:
I looked to see if I still had some of the pics I took of the vine going from pretty to croaked, but I must have deleted them so I wouldn't have to look at another failure. Thank you for the direction on usage. No I haven't used Garden Tone before, but you can bet I am going to this season. I haven't even told the ladies I am going to try again this year. I don't want to get their hopes up in case I fail again. While digging in my cucumber seed bag I see I have a few seeds of something called de Bourbonne Cucumber and West Indian Burr Gherkin. Anybody tried them yet? Having the word burr in the second one kinda scares me to even give it a try. Last edited by Starlight; March 19, 2015 at 12:36 AM. Reason: spelling |
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March 19, 2015 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Burr Gherkins look like baby hedgehogs.
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March 19, 2015 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 124
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Starlight, I grow a couple of hybrid picklers that are really productive for me, Sassy and Eureka. Sassy grows really nice darker green, and nice length to girth ratio. Eureka was bred for trellis production and climbs a fence well with a little help, not quite as dark or long. Sorry I don't know why the slicers grow for you but not the picklers they should have basically the same needs.
Good luck Marcus |
March 19, 2015 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
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March 19, 2015 | #15 |
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