Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus )

1. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Key concepts • Center of origin • Monoecious • Gynoecious • Parthenocarpic • Slicing versus pickling cucumbers • Quality characteristics • Problems

2. Originated in Africa or Asia • Why the uncertainty? • Ancient trade routes connected and India • A network of sea routes linked the incense ports in Saudi Arabia and with ports in the Persian Gulf and India • Goods freely flowed along these routes

3. Cucumber center of origin • What is a center of origin? • Where the crop species or its grow in the wild • Two processes • Utilization as a food • Ability to grow as a crop • Some crops spread rapidly from center of origin others spread is slower • Cucumber – rapid spread • - slow spread

4. Separate male and female flowers • Separate male and female flowers • _____________ • Require bee pollination • Will produce _______ flowers first • Produce 10-20 times more flowers • Release pollen and fall off

5. Gynoecious cultivars • Have all ______ flowers • Why use a gynoecious cultivar? • Energy not used to produce _______ flowers • Can produce more fruit • Usually a small amount of seed from a _______ cultivar is mixed in as the pollinator

6. Parthenocarpic cucumbers • Produce fruit without _________ • Often used in greenhouse production • Why? • Differences from field grown cucumbers • Longer and thinner • Plants are grown upright • __________ • Flavor is better? • Is it worth the additional cost?

7. Cucumber – Slicing • Used fresh without addition _________ • Look for: • Dark, smooth skin • Small diameter

8. Burpless cucumber • These are mild in ______ and thin-skinned • Some people get stomach problems when they eat cucumber skin • Probably don’t stop burping and name comes from ______ Seed Company

9. Cucumber - Pickling • Pickling • Used for making ________ and sometimes fresh • Types of pickles depend on: • Preparation (i.e. dills) • Size

10. West Indies Gerkin or bur cucumber • Derived from an African species • Brought to Americas directly from ________ • Extensively grown in ______ _______ • Almost ______ fruit used for pickles • Gerkin also used to describe small pickles

11. Slicing Cucumbers vs. Pickling

12. Cucumbers: Harvesting • Pick before the _______ start to mature • Fruit that contains immature _________ is preferred • Do not allow cucumbers to turn yellow • Yellow fruit are overly mature • Often have a _________ taste

13. Cucumbers: Problems • Cucumber beetle • Must be controlled because they transmit _________ _________ • Control • Synthetic insecticides • Exclusion with row _________ • Poor fruit quality • Incomplete __________ • Drought during pollination and fruit development