hehehole
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:25 pm

Where do female cucumber flowers grow?

Hi,

I have been reading through this forum and found a lot of useful information.
The reason why I write here is that at the moment I have only male flowers on my cucumber plant.
I grow them inside on an hydroponic system.

I see on all nodes little buds so far. In most cases multiple at a time. I presume that they are all male as what I could read about female flowers is that they grow alone on a node. Is this correct?

Can it be that after producing multiple male flowers a node will produce 1 female flower?

If not I presume that the female flowers can only grow on new nodes.

I would really appreciate your input to understand this plant better.

Some extra input:
The male flowers have been there for about 10 days now and I don't see any sign of female flowers yet. I will have to be patient.
As the nutrients were on the lower level about a week ago 1.5 mS/cm I pumped them up to 3.2 to now steadily cut them back every day.

Thanks.

Regards,

Geoff

theforgottenone1013
Full Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5b/6a

Male blossoms oftentimes show up first so you should be seeing females soon. If you didn't already know, female blossoms have a tiny cucumber attached to the flower. Male blossoms just have a skinny stem.

-Rodney
Last edited by theforgottenone1013 on Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

theforgottenone1013
Full Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5b/6a

I found a couple pics I took earlier this year showing a male and female cucumber blossom.

-Rodney
Attachments
Male
Male
Female
Female

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

If you are growing cucumbers indoors in a hydro system and they are not parthenocarpic (if you have a lot of male flowers they are probably not), you will need to hand polinate them. Temperatures can be a problem temperatures that are either too cold or too warm can influence fruit set and production of female flowers.

hehehole
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:25 pm

Hi,

Thanks for your answers.
I know how the male and female flowers look like but I was wondering if some knots can bear first male flowers and when they are all out would then grow one female flower.
Having male flowers and one female flower on the same knot at the same time is not possible I presume. What's your view on that?

About the pollination: I'm all ready to do the hard work ;-)

Regards,

Geoff

theforgottenone1013
Full Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: SE Michigan, Zone 5b/6a

Well from you saying "I see on all nodes little buds so far. In most cases multiple at a time. I presume that they are all male as what I could read about female flowers is that they grow alone on a node. Is this correct?" it sounded as though you were simply guessing at the gender. Which is why I gave the info and pics I did.

I've never really paid much attention to how many blossoms and of what gender are at each node. But from my above pic you can see that males grow singly as well. Most likely the amount and gender depends on the variety.

-Rodney

hehehole
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:25 pm

Hi

Thanks.
I think that point about the varieties is a very good point.

Thanks for your input.
Will keep tracking those flowers. My plant is literally having male flowers ALL over at this moment.
At least it's beautiful

Regards,

Geoff



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