i've got some cucumbers on my vines that are curly and big at the blossom end and small at the top end. what's going on

-- dawn weger (chowhuahua@aol.com), June 26, 2000

Answers

I think you have a serious case of funky cucumbers! (giggle, giggle)

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), June 27, 2000.

Dawn: That happens on mine to. Every day I walk around and pull those funky ones on cukes and zukes and the rest really grow fast and strong. My guess is that to many try to grow on one plant. Say, I think I used to dance to the funky cucumber in the 70s. Ha....Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), June 27, 2000.

Hi Dawn, What you describe usually means they haven't been properly pollinated. If you've had lots of wet weather when the bees and such aren't flying, that's pretty common. You can pollinate them yourself by taking a male blossom, pulling back the petals and dabbing the pollen on the female blossoms. Just takes a second. Male blossoms have only a skinny little long stem; females have the beginnings of tiny cucumbers on the stem end.

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), June 28, 2000.