Q. I planted the long Armenian cucumbers and they came
out so big and beautiful BUT SO BITTER all through it. Why is that?
out so big and beautiful BUT SO BITTER all through it. Why is that?
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| Armenian cucumber is more closely related to melons than cucumber. You can identify it from its ribbing all down its sides. Harvest them when they are 12 to 15 in long. |
A. Armenian cucumber is USUALLY less of a problem growing
them in the desert than actual cucumber varieties like Straight 8 and
Marketmore. But cucumbers in general can get bitter with hot temperatures and
when grown on the dry side.
them in the desert than actual cucumber varieties like Straight 8 and
Marketmore. But cucumbers in general can get bitter with hot temperatures and
when grown on the dry side.
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| This is a large bag of horse bedding available from farm supply stores. You can buy small amounts from any pet store. |
Try
mulching the soil (apply a thin layer on top of the soil) with something like
wood shavings (horse bedding comes to mind you can get from a farm supply
store) or shredded newspaper to keep the soil cooler and more moist and water more often when it gets hot. The old
fruit may still be bitter but new fruit should not if it works.
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| Here on this raised bed onions were mulched with animal bedding to conserve water. Just a thin layer was applied, enough to shade the soil from the sun. |
With Armenian
cucumber ,if you don’t keep the soil moist while its producing fruit, they can get
bitter but it is more rare than a common cucumber.