While I’ve been getting a nice number of cucumbers this year, some of them have been oddly yellow and quite bland tasting. My first thought is that I left them on the vine too long, but these oddballs started out yellow, and stayed yellow.
I found some interesting ideas as to why this might be happening.
- Not enough sun– very possible. I have them growing on a cucumber trellis that shares space with a large zucchini plant. Possibly some of the leaves are casting too many shadows onto the new cucumbers. For a variety of reasons, I think I should separate the squash and cucumber plants next year.
- Too much water– less likely since other cucumbers are nice and green on the same vines.
- Over-ripe– not likely. They seem to start out yellow and stay yellow.
- Cross-pollinating with summer squash–interesting idea. Could be possible since I have squash in the same garden. Zucchini is right next to it and summer squash a few feet away. Not sure how I could tell if this is the case, but it is part of the reason to move the squash to a new, larger space next year.
I love the cucumber. That is pretty interesting that the variety you grew started growing yellow cucumbers. I wonder why?
I’m a big cucumber fanatic. There are most of what I grow down here in Tucson.
The yellow cucumbers were a mystery, especially since those same plants later produced regular green cucumbers. I enjoyed looking at your site. The tomato support and hand pollinating posts were especially interesting and have given me some things to think about for next year.
Thanks Stephi. I love growing veggies!