FAQs
Answer: There are several possible reasons that your cucumbers are suffering from blossom drop before fruit set. These include pollination issues, environmental stresses, and soil nutrient problems.
How do I get my cucumbers to produce fruit? ›
Another key to getting cucumbers to produce is pollination. Pollen must be transferred from the male to the female flower in order to produce fruit. You can distinguish a female from a male because the female has a tiny cucumber at the base of the petals.
Why is my cucumber plant only producing male flowers? ›
It is normal for cucurbits to produce only male flowers at first. Female flowers will have a swelling below the petals which contains the ovaries that develop into cucumbers. Check your flowers to see if they are male; this would explain the absence of fruit.
How do I know if my cucumbers have been pollinated? ›
This is the female flower on a cucumber plant. See the immature fruit at the base, a clear indication of a female flower. This one has probably already been pollinated and the flower is starting to close.
Do you need two cucumber plants to get fruit? ›
Most cucumber varieties are monoecious with unisexual flowers—have separate male and female flowers within the same individual— and thus require animal pollination for reproduction. However, some varieties are mostly or totally gynoecious (produce only female flowers) and can produce fruit through parthenocarpy.
What promotes male flowers in cucumber? ›
Gibberellins promotes the production of male flowers in Cucurbits.
Should I remove all the male flowers from cucumber plants? ›
Removing male flowers
Occasionally male flowers (without a tiny fruit behind them) may appear, in which case remove them. Outdoor cucumber plants produce both male and female flowers. The female flowers need to be pollinated in order to produce fruit, so don't remove the male flowers.
Does every flower turn into a cucumber? ›
When properly pollinated and fertilized, the female flowers develop into fruit. The first flowers to appear on cucumbers and other vine crops are predominantly male. As a result, fruit production is poor when the vines begin to flower.
How long after flowers do cucumbers appear? ›
The day has arrived when your cucumbers are ready for harvest. This is usually within eight to 10 days after the tiny fruits first emerge from the blossom; they are a deep luscious shade of green and you can smell their fresh juiciness.
Do I take male flowers off cucumber plants? ›
Removing 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 two most common disorders are potassium deficiency, which causes yellowing between the veins of the oldest leaves, and boron deficiency, which causes yellow streaks and corky markings (scurfing) on the fruit.
Why are my cucumbers not ripening? ›
Sadly, lack of pollination is one of the most common cucumber plant problems these days. If your cucumber fruits (yes, botanically speaking, cucumbers are fruits, not vegetables) are not fully formed or have an end that's nothing more than a tiny nub, poor pollination is likely to blame.
