Bitter cukes! Argh!

[Chicky2]

Ok, so I haven't been able to grow a decent cucumber since the first year we were here (6 yrs ago). We got hit by cucumber beetles and they overwinter, so I just stopped trying to grow cukes until this year. SFG, and way away from the other garden plot, so I had hope. We have bees and my cukes were positively buzzing w/bee activity, which is so important for cukes. The plants are almost to the top of my trellis, and full of blooms and baby cukes. I cut the first cuke last night and it was NASTY. I am so upset and disappointed. Anything I can do? I cannot stand the thought of pulling these plants! I just hope all the cukes won't be bitter. And when I say bitter, I mean bad. Really, really bad. I tried salting them as one would do for a winter eggplant, but no luck. Still tasted nasty.

[HeatherAtHome]

I read in a gardening book that bitter cucumbers mean that they didn't get enough water when the cucumbers were forming.

[Chicky2]

Well, see, I'm finding that one of my sfg beds is not holding water well, but not the bed where the cukes are. However, the cukes are planted in the holes in the cinder blocks that surround my bed. Maybe that part isn't getting enough. Hmmmm. Does this mean ALL my cukes are going to be nasty?

[Erinz]

The variety can make a difference too. Some are much more bitter than others. I have found the water thing to be true. It's a delicate balance with cucumbers in my experience because too much water hurts them and too little water makes them bitter. I grow them every year though just because when they're good they're GREAT!

I would think they prob aren't getting enough water in the holes of those cinder blocks? Could you run a soaker hose along them with a quick connect attachment on the end so you can just let the soaker go for periods of time, assuring they get that long, slow water they might be needing?

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by Erinz

The variety can make a difference too. Some are much more bitter than others. I have found the water thing to be true. It's a delicate balance with cucumbers in my experience because too much water hurts them and too little water makes them bitter. I grow them every year though just because when they're good they're GREAT!

I would think they prob aren't getting enough water in the holes of those cinder blocks? Could you run a soaker hose along them with a quick connect attachment on the end so you can just let the soaker go for periods of time, assuring they get that long, slow water they might be needing?

My mom couldn't get hers to stop growing last year even if she stomped on them, lol. They were so great.

I am currently watering by toting bath water to the garden. I just can't see wasting it. I'll make sure the cukes get watered a little, twice every day from now on. I was just watering every other day.

So, do you think the rest will be awful, or do you think I can save them?

[Erinz]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

My mom couldn't get hers to stop growing last year even if she stomped on them, lol. They were so great.

I am currently watering by toting bath water to the garden. I just can't see wasting it. I'll make sure the cukes get watered a little, twice every day from now on. I was just watering every other day.

So, do you think the rest will be awful, or do you think I can save them?

Are they still in the flower stage? Or teeny little cukes? I'd think the more grown-up they are the less chance of making them not be bitter? This may sound crazy, but what if you plucked off a few of the larger ones to save energy for developing the younger ones? The water efficiency within the plant might work better for those that are very young and still forming? I have no clue really but it sounds logical?

All our bath and shower and sink waters get re-purposed too

[Chicky2]

They are mostly still flowering, and little teeny ones. There are only a few larger ones, and yes, I'd be perfectly willing to sacrifice those if it might save the others!

Thanks! Off to pluck...

[Chicky2]

Ok, back to report on my cukes. I plucked all the bigger ones (these are English (or hothouse) cukes, btw), and brought them into the house. Last night I had called my mom about my bitter cukes, and she told me about something she'd read once, but never tried. It is to slice a piece of cuke off the blossom end and then rub it back and forth on the cut end of the rest of the cuke. I did that, and lo and behold I have a fabulous-tasting cuke! Now, I don't know if it was that these (I did 2) cukes are from a different plant (they were from 2 separate ones, but possibly different from the one I tried and gagged on yesterday) or if it was the tip my mom gave me, but I've got 2 yummo cukes in the fridge chilling for supper tonight. I'll try another one tomorrow w/out rubbing the cut end and see if it is bitter or not. I didn't want to chance my only other cuke tonight after I did the first one and it was good, lol.

[christinar]

I was really curious about the whole slice a piece of procedure and upon googling it found this thread: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lo...cucumbers.html. There's a particularly long/interesting response about cucurbitacin about half way down. BTW, I've always heard bitterness in cukes is often due to water stress, like the other posters.