Country Gardener’s pick of the varieties


Varieties of ridge cucumber


‘Burpless Tasty Green’ Yes, it’s true. No indigestion problems with this cucumber. Cucumber Burpless Tasty Green produces cucumbers that are crisp and delicious, with no bitterness and ideal to eat just like celery. Pick at 20-25cm (8-10in) long when flavour and vitamin content is very high. Very easy to grow.


Cucumbers, you won’t need many plants as the yield is high, usually about 12 fruits to each plant


You will get delicious cucumbers throughout the summer if you keep the plants moist.


Cucumbers must never dry out, and this is the most usual reason for failure with growing them. Harvest regularly to ensure a succession of crops.


If you don’t have a lot of space, try growing them up a wigwam of canes or similar structure. Just make sure that you keep up with tying them in or they may become tangled and difficult to extricate.


Pests and diseases to look out for


Aphids are a problem, attacking the plants. You can spray with an insecticide, but encourage their natural predators such as ladybirds, hoverflies and ladybirds by growing flowers near the vegetables.


Cucumber Mosaic Virus is serious, with foliage becoming mottled with yellow, and the fruit often becomes stunted. No cure – destroy badly affected plants and look out for aphids that spread the virus between plants.


Cucumbers – male or female flowers?


Many varieties have both male and female flowers on the same plants. Both should be left on outdoor varieties, but pinch off the male flowers when they appear on indoor varieties to prevent the fruit from becoming bitter. The flowers are easy to tell apart - the female flower has a swelling beneath it that will become a cucumber. Alter- natively, choose all female flower varieties. Plant outdoor cucumbers in early summer. A week or so before planting, acclimatise plants by putting them in a cold frame.


Alternatively, stand in the shelter of a shaded wall and cover with fleece. Prepare the soil well, adding plenty of well-rotted manure and space plants 90cm (35in) apart. After planting, the top of the rootball should sit at the same level as the surface of the soil


Pak Choi Rising Sun


‘Masterpiece’ this is an early and reliable British selection for outdoor growing, producing heavy crops of dark green skinned, slightly spined, 20cm (8in) cucumbers with crisp white flesh. Cucumber Masterpiece is tender and perfect for summer salads. Do not remove male flowers as outdoor varieties need pollination. Feed with potash fertiliser once fruiting commences and water and mulch regularly. Pick fruits whilst young and tender, older fruits can become bitter.


Burpless Tasty Green


Masterpiece


‘Crystal Apple’ Cucumis sativus ‘Crystal Lemon’ Each fruit is the size of a small apple, hence its common name of the ‘Apple Cucumber’ - but as its fruit is a pale yellow in colour when ready to eat its actually called ‘Crystal Lemon’! Reputed to be more digestible than many other cucumbers, this has a mild sweet flavour and is very juicy. Excellent for pickling also.


Crystal Apple Pak Choi


Pak Choi Bonsai F1 Pak Choi Bonsai. A hybrid dwarf variety with short sturdy white leaf stalks and dark green slightly savoyed leaves with a lovely crunchy flavour, baby veg plant height 12-14cm slower to bolt than other varieties.


Pak Choi Rising Sun F1 Red Pak Choi. Grow at close spacing for baby leaf. Round maroon red leaf with a thin stem ideal for baby leaf. The underside is purple with contrasting green veins.


Pak Choi Da Cheong Chae Having the qualities of both Pac Choi and Tatsoi. Shiny, rounded, dark green leaves with a Pac Choi plant habit. Light green stems. Space 15cm apart for full-size plants.


Santo Serrated Leaved is a loose-headed variety with attractive serrated leaves and is cold resistant.


Country Gardener 29


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