Pickling Cukes

[Starlight]

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.

[Worth1]

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.

[shelleybean]

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!

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by Worth1

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.

I wish they would accept the slicing ones for pickling, but nope they want a true pickler. The slicrs I bring them they eat in their salads.

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!!!!

Originally Posted by shelleybean

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!

Thanks Shelleybean. I'll see about getting me some of them and giving them a try. I'll also try your suggestion of the Garden Tone and the straw. How much of the Garden Tone do you use and how often, please.

[tam91]

I've just grown the picklebush, because I didn't have a ton of room. Squash vine borers getting you?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by tam91

I've just grown the picklebush, because I didn't have a ton of room. Squash vine borers getting you?

Sounds like it..

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

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.

[tam91]

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.

[shelleybean]

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.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

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.

As was said it is a great cucumber fresh eating or pickled I forgot all about them.
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

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by tam91

I've just grown the picklebush, because I didn't have a ton of room. Squash vine borers getting you?

Could be. I scout my plants several times a day and never noticed and bug problems with them, but then I've never really looked for squash bores on cukes before either since I never had a problem with them.

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.

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

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.

Send me a pm with your addy. I have a few extra N.C Pickling cuke seeds I can send you to try.

Originally Posted by shelleybean

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.

I wonder if maybe that was part of my problem. I always trellis my big ones up, but since I figured these guys was small I didn't. I just let them ramble.

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.

[Worth1]

Burr Gherkins look like baby hedgehogs.

[Marcus1]

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

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

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.

I'v grown that one exclusively for years.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Hellmanns

I'v grown that one exclusively for years.

I'm going to pick up a pack of National Pickling seeds later today. You all helped make up our minds