I allowed one of my over sized Armenian cucumbers to stay on the vine long enough to ripen into the melon that Armenian cucumbers really are.
I had no experience in knowing how to tell when a melon on the vine is "ripe", so I waited long enough for the skin to turn white and the melon to have a soft texture when squeezed. We also had a significant rain the other day which provided a burst of moisture to the melon causing the thin skin to start cracking.
I cut it from the vine today and then cut it open and gave it a try. It was probably about eight lbs. in size .The flesh is slightly light green in color, full of moisture, and very sweet. It has the very distinctive "Honey Dew" melon taste and texture. Since it repined fully on the vine, the flesh was not crunchy like a grocery store melon, but it was soft and pleasant in texture. I'm not a big fan of grocery store melons because they are harvested before they have had a chance to fully ripen and retain a crunchy texture and do not develop their full taste.
I think the Armenians are well worth growing as cucumbers when picked young or as Melons when fully vine ripened.
Ted
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gixxerific
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That sounds awesome. Cucumber here, melon there. Worth looking into.
I'm hungry now too how about emailing me one of those ripe ones.
From I what I just read on the net they seem to be better big, like above 12 inches. So let a few get huge and you will find that magic size where they are perfect, though it already seems like you might have.
I'm hungry now too how about emailing me one of those ripe ones.
From I what I just read on the net they seem to be better big, like above 12 inches. So let a few get huge and you will find that magic size where they are perfect, though it already seems like you might have.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Armenian cucs. I put some in the ground a couple weeks ago as transplants but the heat got to them so I put more in today and hope they make it to cooler weather. I also have some Straight 8's growing on one end of the trellis for the more traditional cuc. I can't wait till the Armenian's come in. If the weather gets too cool for them to produce, I'll just have to bide my time till spring.
Big, round, and long melons versus long, narrow, ribbed cucumbers seems to be heat related also. For me, the vines have produced the melon sized fruit during extended high heat periods. They have produced the cucumber sized and shaped fruit when developed during a cool period. I have a few on the vines right now that grew through hot and cool periods. They are long and skinny on one end and bulbous or melon shaped on the other end. We are currently experiencing the cool down period after a hot summer. The last seven or eight fruit which set are developing into the traditional cucumber shape which is long, and twisted or curved.
Ted
Ted
Gumbo,gumbo2176 wrote:Thanks for the heads-up on the Armenian cucs. I put some in the ground a couple weeks ago as transplants but the heat got to them so I put more in today and hope they make it to cooler weather. I also have some Straight 8's growing on one end of the trellis for the more traditional cuc. I can't wait till the Armenian's come in. If the weather gets too cool for them to produce, I'll just have to bide my time till spring.
Have you grown "Straight Eight" before?
I used to grow them in Southern Louisiana and they were productive, but it always seemed most of the fruit was bitter. I grew some last year here in North Texas and the fruit was again bitter. Near the end of last years growing season, I had a lot of fruit on the straight eight and other varieties which were in some way defective. I would toss them over the fence for the Dog to eat. He quickly became adept at identifying the straight eights and would not touch them. They would simply stay on the ground and rot.
Ted
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stella1751
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That sounds seriously tasty, Ted! I will be looking forward to growing those seeds you gave me. We can have our spells of hot weather up here, nothing like what you experience, but five or six days in a row of 90's. I am crossing my fingers I get one of your monster cukes.
Two weeks ago, when my cucumbers starting showing signs of playing out, I decided to leave a Slicemaster on the vine for seed. It just keeps getting longer and longer and longer. It looks like a very large zucchini now, close to 2' long and about 4" in diameter. I keep waiting for it to turn yellow, as another member advised me it eventually would, but it just seems to want to keep growing.
I ate one Slicemaster that had gone over its vine expiration date, and it had considerably more flesh than seeds. (I'd thought it would be the other way around.) It didn't have an obviously cucumber taste, either. I wonder whether the Armenian might be related to the Slicemaster.
Two weeks ago, when my cucumbers starting showing signs of playing out, I decided to leave a Slicemaster on the vine for seed. It just keeps getting longer and longer and longer. It looks like a very large zucchini now, close to 2' long and about 4" in diameter. I keep waiting for it to turn yellow, as another member advised me it eventually would, but it just seems to want to keep growing.
I ate one Slicemaster that had gone over its vine expiration date, and it had considerably more flesh than seeds. (I'd thought it would be the other way around.) It didn't have an obviously cucumber taste, either. I wonder whether the Armenian might be related to the Slicemaster.
Stella,
I've found over the years that most cucumbers will get pretty large on the vine if left long enough. Eventually, the skin turns yellow, and the flesh becomes more like a melon than a cucumber. I've found some really large normal cucumbers on the ground, hidden by foliage; when I clean my garden in the fall. They all seem to revert or ripen into something like a melon. Some, I have tasted; and they have a distinct melon taste, but not a melon that I would purchase at the store. I think most cucumbers are much better as cucumbers than melons. The Armenian is unique for me because it starts producing melons and sometimes cucumbers from the moment the blossom is pollinated. The melons ripen into something that may have as much value to me as the cucumbers. Both are good.
While I have been talking mostly about the melons, the cucumbers are unique in their role. I usually refrigerate them because I like cold cucumber slices. I then slice them on a diagonal angle and serve them. Because the skin is so thin and tender, I never bother trying to skin them. With the ridges running the full length of the fruit, people have commented that they look pretty after using a fluting tool on the surface. They are surprised to learn the flutes in the skin are normal. No tool needed.
I think the surprise for me this year was simply the fact that the vines seem to have a dual personality depending on the heat. I wouldn't have been more surprised had I grown cantelopes and found some of them developing into cucumbers instead of melons.
Ted
I've found over the years that most cucumbers will get pretty large on the vine if left long enough. Eventually, the skin turns yellow, and the flesh becomes more like a melon than a cucumber. I've found some really large normal cucumbers on the ground, hidden by foliage; when I clean my garden in the fall. They all seem to revert or ripen into something like a melon. Some, I have tasted; and they have a distinct melon taste, but not a melon that I would purchase at the store. I think most cucumbers are much better as cucumbers than melons. The Armenian is unique for me because it starts producing melons and sometimes cucumbers from the moment the blossom is pollinated. The melons ripen into something that may have as much value to me as the cucumbers. Both are good.
While I have been talking mostly about the melons, the cucumbers are unique in their role. I usually refrigerate them because I like cold cucumber slices. I then slice them on a diagonal angle and serve them. Because the skin is so thin and tender, I never bother trying to skin them. With the ridges running the full length of the fruit, people have commented that they look pretty after using a fluting tool on the surface. They are surprised to learn the flutes in the skin are normal. No tool needed.
I think the surprise for me this year was simply the fact that the vines seem to have a dual personality depending on the heat. I wouldn't have been more surprised had I grown cantelopes and found some of them developing into cucumbers instead of melons.
Ted
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stella1751
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I suspect you're right, Ted. I've never saved seeds before, so this is the first time I've seen anything like this.
I think one of the things I most enjoy about gardening is watching nature have its way, despite our better intentions, and watching it in action. I am impressed by that monstrous Slicemaster because I've never seen a cucumber do this before. I always shut nature down by picking my cucumbers when they have achieved an acceptable size to meet my needs. It's fun to see what nature can do, all on its own, and to consider the evolution of the species.
This spring, one of my NuMex Big Jims put on a solitary flower. None of my other peppers had so much as a bud, and there were no other buds even approaching bloom on this plant. None of my neighbor's peppers had bloomed yet. I can't be certain, but I suspect the nearest garden is 1/8 a mile away. In my wisdom, I knew that flower would never bear fruit. I thought it brave, but foolhardy.
That flower became my first pepper of the season. I haven't a clue where the pollen came from to produce the pepper. It was kind of cool to see how nature had contrived to perpetuate the species.
I think one of the things I most enjoy about gardening is watching nature have its way, despite our better intentions, and watching it in action. I am impressed by that monstrous Slicemaster because I've never seen a cucumber do this before. I always shut nature down by picking my cucumbers when they have achieved an acceptable size to meet my needs. It's fun to see what nature can do, all on its own, and to consider the evolution of the species.
This spring, one of my NuMex Big Jims put on a solitary flower. None of my other peppers had so much as a bud, and there were no other buds even approaching bloom on this plant. None of my neighbor's peppers had bloomed yet. I can't be certain, but I suspect the nearest garden is 1/8 a mile away. In my wisdom, I knew that flower would never bear fruit. I thought it brave, but foolhardy.
That flower became my first pepper of the season. I haven't a clue where the pollen came from to produce the pepper. It was kind of cool to see how nature had contrived to perpetuate the species.
[quote="tedln"]Gumbo,Have you grown "Straight Eight" before?
That's the variety I plant every spring. My cucumber trellis is only 12 ft. long by 7 ft. tall and for a while there I was harvesting 6 or more a day. The in-laws and neighbors love the overages.
The only ones I find bitter are the ones I leave on the vine too long. I generally pick them when they are 6-8 inches long and the seeds are still small and very tender. The occasional one that gets lost in the foliage and grows to 10 inches or more do get bitter and the seeds get pretty tough.
I'm hoping the Armenian's I recently put in will give me some before it gets too cold for them to produce.
That's the variety I plant every spring. My cucumber trellis is only 12 ft. long by 7 ft. tall and for a while there I was harvesting 6 or more a day. The in-laws and neighbors love the overages.
The only ones I find bitter are the ones I leave on the vine too long. I generally pick them when they are 6-8 inches long and the seeds are still small and very tender. The occasional one that gets lost in the foliage and grows to 10 inches or more do get bitter and the seeds get pretty tough.
I'm hoping the Armenian's I recently put in will give me some before it gets too cold for them to produce.
A.S.
Yes it was one of the melons I allowed to ripen on the vine. I have ten pounder sitting on the counter waiting for what ever I decide to do with it. The eight pounder I allowed to fully ripen on the vine, is in the refigerator with one end removed for tasting. I plant on cutting it up and serving it as a melon.
Just in case Jal, doesn't read your message or question for a while, the Armenian seed, I planted at the same time as the normal cuke seeds. They did take over a week longer to germinate. The normal cukes took off and started growing quickly. The Armenians produced thin, spindly, little vines that grew slowly. When the high heat got here, it didn't take long for the regular cukes to die. The Armenians acted like they had been waiting for the heat and started growing vigorously. The thin little vines suddenly became vines Tarzan would have been proud to swing on in the jungle. You have to imagine they are strong, tough vines to hold eight and ten pound melons hanging as dead weight under the trellis. None of the melons ever dropped. In short, the Armenians seem to like warmer soil and warmer weather to germinate and grow.
Ted
Yes it was one of the melons I allowed to ripen on the vine. I have ten pounder sitting on the counter waiting for what ever I decide to do with it. The eight pounder I allowed to fully ripen on the vine, is in the refigerator with one end removed for tasting. I plant on cutting it up and serving it as a melon.
Just in case Jal, doesn't read your message or question for a while, the Armenian seed, I planted at the same time as the normal cuke seeds. They did take over a week longer to germinate. The normal cukes took off and started growing quickly. The Armenians produced thin, spindly, little vines that grew slowly. When the high heat got here, it didn't take long for the regular cukes to die. The Armenians acted like they had been waiting for the heat and started growing vigorously. The thin little vines suddenly became vines Tarzan would have been proud to swing on in the jungle. You have to imagine they are strong, tough vines to hold eight and ten pound melons hanging as dead weight under the trellis. None of the melons ever dropped. In short, the Armenians seem to like warmer soil and warmer weather to germinate and grow.
Ted
[quote="tedln"]A.S. In short, the Armenians seem to like warmer soil and warmer weather to germinate and grow.
That's good info Ted. I too noticed the Armenian's took longer to sprout in the peat pots. From your experience I would venture to guess the Armenians I recently put in the garden won't do too well when the weather turns cooler. I'll see how they do and if they don't do well, sugar snaps are calling for a reservation on the trellis.
That's good info Ted. I too noticed the Armenian's took longer to sprout in the peat pots. From your experience I would venture to guess the Armenians I recently put in the garden won't do too well when the weather turns cooler. I'll see how they do and if they don't do well, sugar snaps are calling for a reservation on the trellis.
I hope they made that reservation through priceline and paid for it with paypal. Can't be to careful these days. I haven't had any experience with them in cooler weather after they started producing. My guess is they will do fine until first frost. In New Orleans, that may be Mardi Gras weekend.
Ted
Ted
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jal_ut
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"JAL, can the Armenians be sown early like regular cukes?"
In my climate I sow pumpkins and winter squash May 5, Melons May 15, and cukes June 1. I sow Armenians May 15 with the melons. (If the soil and weather cooperate.)
May 18 is the average last frost, so that gives you something to shoot for.
Instead of Straight Eight cukes, I find Marketmore 76 to be a much better cuke. They seldom get bitter here. I think it is stress that makes cukes bitter. Try to keep the soil damp. I think drought stress, and/or excessive heat are the most common stress elements for cukes.
In my climate I sow pumpkins and winter squash May 5, Melons May 15, and cukes June 1. I sow Armenians May 15 with the melons. (If the soil and weather cooperate.)
May 18 is the average last frost, so that gives you something to shoot for.
Instead of Straight Eight cukes, I find Marketmore 76 to be a much better cuke. They seldom get bitter here. I think it is stress that makes cukes bitter. Try to keep the soil damp. I think drought stress, and/or excessive heat are the most common stress elements for cukes.
The Armenians are doing well on the A frame trellis, but I started thinking about transferring the plants to the compost pile today. My fall planted Sweet Success cukes are producing great and should continue until the first frost. I grow one or two things every year that I've never grown before and I may find interesting. Sometimes my test crop will be a total failure or a medium to great success. I have found the Armenians to be a good success. They are interesting, productive, and tasty and well worth growing. I doubt if I will plant them again next year because I am thinking about trying some cantaloupe next year on the A frame trellis. I guess I am just ready to rework that bed and get my new watering system hooked up to it. All my other beds are growing a fall crop after having been reworked with more soil and compost added. I will probably plant some Romaine lettuce in the bed after it is reworked. I found out last year I can plant the Romaine in the fall and it will germinate and grow two or three inches. It then spends the winter under an occasional snow or just freezing weather. When spring arrives the next year, it grows quickly and we have good lettuce until it bolts in late spring.
Ted
Ted