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Cucumber |
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June 23rd I
looked across the market stall and saw this saggy, weary looking thing
and said to her, 'shall we buy that near dead cucumber plant?' and bless her
she agreed. It didn't
look well at all but at £1 I reckoned it was worth a rescue attempt. At home
a largish pot was found, filled with the left over contents of a grow bag,
bamboo cane installed and the plant gently placed and tied to the cane,
water added . . now waiting. |
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Some people use TLC (Tender Loving
Care), I use T double I (Totally Ignore It).
Over night and in the pouring rain it perked up a treat, the whole plant now
has some rigidity and can hold it's own head up. The plant is on the spiky
side, the large leaves feel like sandpaper. apparently cucumbers can grow
along the ground or upright if supported, as this thing has tendrils
reaching out I think I'll go for the upright position. |
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June 24th
Here's some close up pictures of old spiky. strange growths protruding from
the 'V' junctions look like they could be the potential flower bit. |
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June 28th:
Due to some bad weather my beloved cucumber plant came
indoors, it's a delicate thing I'll have you know. anyway, it was an excuse
to take another couple of pictures and noticed its developed a little. |
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July 7th:
This may be the last we see of the cucumber.
As you can see, its started to flower and it needs to get outside and get
fertilised or something, this means putting it in the mini green house. I
can leave the flap open during good weather but must make sure it has enough
water and this means work! |
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July 10th:
It's been outside now in the mini greenhouse for three days with no adverse
affects. The green house is temperature controlled, if the sun comes out I
open the flap, if it rains I close it.
I have noticed a tendency for the
cucumber plant to lean towards the swan gourd, they could be distant cousins
of course! |
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This is not good, cucumbers aren't
yellow, and don't drop off, or do they?
This bud had started to flower indoors before I move the plant out and so I
think it missed the party. The good news, there are to others. the flower is
unusual in that unlike other flowers that opens, this one seems to un-crease
and inflate! |
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July 12th:
what's 3 inches long and makes me smile?
It's a cucumber. Looking good, the two
other flowers seem to have made the party and found mates. |
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July 14th:
Two days and one inch longer.
Now we're starting to look like the real
thing, just amazed at the rate of growth this thing has.
July 17th:
Now six inches. |
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July 18th:
Seven inches, incredible. This time I'm holding it to give you a sense of
scale. There are about four other flowers but to be honest, they don't look
like they are going to produce.
July 21st:
9 inches, I can't wipe the smile of my wife's face. This thing is growing at
a rate of knots, there has to be a time to stop it surely? |
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July 22nd:
It had to be done and my wife was keen to get her hands on it. After a quick
bit of research I had the impression it needs to be picked early rather than
later otherwise it gets a little bitter with age (don't we all) |
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Firm, dark green and a little spiky,
sounds like the average Martian but this is our cucumber and I'm told very
juicy to boot. |
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Remembering that this started as a
limp growth found at a farmers market in Worthing town centre we're very
pleased with the results. Hopefully this won't be the last of the crop. |
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Round two: Life
goes on. |
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It's a boy: It took a little research
but now I know that stumpy here is a boy flower.
To keep it simple, break off the flower
and shove it in the female flower |
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It's a girl: Going against the grain a
little, the female flower has the phallic like growth behind the flower. |
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July 30th:
Off we go again, we now have another four potential cucumbers on the way,
one of these will be allowed to grow and grow until we have something that
will give us seeds, and I've not got a clue how that works either. |
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August 18th:
Number two cue is on it's way, 4
inches so far with a slight kink! |
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September 3rd:
Cue Two reached 12 inches in the end,
slight curve stopped it reaching 13, never mind, is size that important!
I have been assured it was
'lovely', it got eaten fast. |
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