Stop shriveling cucumbers

June 30, 2008 by Natalie (QSOgirl)

or, “A brief photo tutorial on hand-pollinating cucumbers.”

A bit of introduction:

Last year, I was having problems with getting cucumbers to grow. I’d see the flowers, I’d see the baby cucumbers (which I later learned were female flowers, more about that below), and then the baby cucumbers would shrivel. I posted about it in the “Shriveling cucumbers” post, which has consistently been the top-viewed post on this blog. Between the suggestions of a friend of mine and people commenting on that post, I learned that my cucumbers weren’t being pollinated properly. This is probably because my garden is about 4 stories above ground where bees are unlikely to fly (why fly 4 stories up when there are all kinds of nice flowers right near the ground? 🙂 ) People with traditional in-ground gardens or container gardens at ground level are much less likely to have problems with their cucumbers remaining unpollinated. I had some success with hand-pollination last year (and got all organized with red and blue strips of t-shirt fabric!), but I never actually described my technique. For the sake of completeness, I decided to write this post.

First, you need to know the difference between a male flower and a female flower on the cucumber vines.

Male flowers look just like little yellow flowers with pollen-holders in their centers:

side-view of a male cucumber flower

“center” view of a male cucumber flower

Female flowers are also yellow, but are easily distinguished from male flowers by the mini-cucumber that is right behind the base of the petals. The center of a female flower is also different from the male flowers. Instead of containing pollen-holders, the female flower has a pollen-receptor.

side view of a female cucumber flower. note the miniature “pre-cucumber” just behind the base of the petals.

“center” view of a female cucumber flower

I use a small, soft paintbrush to pollinate my cucumbers. I gently grasp a male flower at its (his?) base and swirl the paintbrush around to collect pollen.

collecting pollen from male flower on soft paintbrush

If you’ve done it right, you’ll see a dusting of yellow pollen on the bristles of the paintbrush. To deliver the pollen to the female flower, gently grasp at its (her?) base and brush the pollen into the center of the female flower.

delivering pollen to female cucumber flower

It’s also worth re-posting some of the links that were given to me in comments of the “Shriveling cucumbers” post, because they were really helpful:

http://ask.metafilter.com/65155/Cucumber-woes

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=991&storyType=garden

I found another method for hand-pollination on this blog:

http://gardeningwithwilson.com/2008/02/23/pollinating-cucumber-flowers/

Posted in container garden research, cucumbers, pollination | 41 Comments

41 Responses

on June 30, 2008 at 12:12 pm Shriveling cucumbers « Vegetablog

[…] (30 June 2008): I have written a post about hand-pollinating cucumbers complete with photos: https://vegetablog.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/stop-shriveling-cucumbers/ Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Cucumber vines choppedDroopy peppers and sad […]
on June 30, 2008 at 12:30 pm J

Hi

Thank you for that post, I’ve been having mixed success with my cucumbers and now I know why. My cucumbers are in a little plastic greenhouse and although the greenhouse door is open some of the time I’m probably not getting that many pollinating insects in there! So although I’ve now got two large (and bendy – that’s my other problem, lack of space) cucumbers growing, some of my others were going brown and shrivelly.
on June 30, 2008 at 12:33 pm gardengeekette

J: I’m glad that my post helped– I hope that hand-pollinating works for you!!
on July 1, 2008 at 6:19 am nimmy

Great post..I am waiting for my cucumbers to flower…
on July 1, 2008 at 10:06 am Jim Haley

thanks for the help, this city boy appreciates it
on July 1, 2008 at 10:09 am jimmy

Thanks for delivering great info on cucumber flowers.
Good luck with your flower and veggie garden and may
your roses have no thorns!
Thanks,
Jimmy
http://www.bobbiesflowers.com
on July 15, 2008 at 12:41 pm Lynde

Thanks so much for your cucumber insight;)
I started my first potted garden in the Spring & have been reading about each veggie & found this blog when looking up cucumbers. I haven’t had to try your technique’s yet, but it’s very interesting all the same! Thanks again!
on March 20, 2009 at 5:10 pm Gardenzombie

Great post.. The pics are a wonderful teaching aid.
on April 12, 2009 at 2:00 pm Lindy

Great post!

I live in an apartment, and recently started an indoor container garden in my sun room. I have a cucumber plant, and was searching to see if I needed to hand-pollinate my cucumber plant.

I’m SO glad I found this post! The pics are great, and I’m sure I’ll have no problem following the instructions. Thanks!
on June 1, 2009 at 11:51 am Cucumber

Very detailed info on how to pollinate cucumber flowers. Nice pics and good post, thanks for sharing this.
on June 1, 2009 at 5:35 pm Shannon

Great info…just what we needed. Great pics. gonna try process and see what we get!
on July 29, 2009 at 12:22 pm marewood

I pollinated the flowers myself and it worked wonderfully. Seems that I just jump started the process and now have an overabundance of fruit. The only thing I have to add is that it’s important to plant both plants that come in the container together. Thanks for the tutorial.
on August 18, 2009 at 11:48 am gwen

THANK YOU!!! I’m having the same problem with squash. It looks like I’ll be heading out the the garden armed with a paintbrush. I need to look at ways of luring bees into my raised bed….
on August 31, 2009 at 2:39 pm Autumn Olson

I wish I would’ve found you sooner. I just pulled my plants out of frustration. I didn’t even think that lack of pollination could’ve been the problem. I have plenty of bees, but they must be too busy in the sunflowers. Thanks for the insight.
on August 3, 2010 at 1:46 pm Amber

Thanks! I would have had TONS of cucumbers if I had read this earlier! As it is, I’ve had two and lots of shriveled mini ones 😦 I’m hoping it is not too late to hand pollinate this year.
on August 6, 2010 at 2:41 pm Carolyn

Thanks for the tip. I was wondering what was going on with my cucumbers.
on September 3, 2010 at 11:40 am Karen

Thanks for the tip too. I have never been able to grow cucumbers, they get to like 6 inches high and then fall over and die. So this year I planted upside down in a liter soda bottle and it took off great, but then all the cucumbers turned yellow, shriveled up and died, just like you described. I just thought I was never going to be able to grow cucumbers, which is sad because I do love pickles so much. I will try hand pollinating and see if that is the problem! Much thanks!
on June 10, 2011 at 6:21 pm Rodent wars: the battle begins « Vegetablog

[…] coming up in the garden plot. Not enough for proper pollination, but I’m no stranger to hand-pollination, so I was willing to go at my corn with a paintbrush when the time came. happy, unsuspecting […]
on June 26, 2011 at 2:49 pm Sue

This is a question. Our cucumbers are growing good, but after we pick them and put them in the frig the skin get shriveled but the inside is solid and good. Does anyone know why?
on June 27, 2011 at 2:29 pm dl

Regarding the shriveled skin:
Notice that when you buy a cucumber in the supermarket, it often comes in plastic wrap. This is to prevent the loss of water through the skin. I would suggest wrapping them or putting them into a ziploc baggy.
However, one of the benefits of growing your own food is that you get the chance to eat it fresh! They’ll keep better on the vine than in the fridge, and retain more nutrients this way, so: consider coordinating your harvesting and eating/pickling such that you can work with the freshest possible fruits.
on July 3, 2011 at 6:11 pm worriedgardener

yay! off to pollinate my shriveling cucumbers. although my 13 year old daughter says it seems inappropriate in some way, haha! she’s helping anyways….
on July 3, 2011 at 6:13 pm worriedgardener

also, is this due to the bee problem? mine is an in ground garden….hmmm….maybe it’s time to become a bee keeper.
on July 2, 2012 at 7:40 pm Lisa Sherman

Very cool situation-you are a skyscraper Mendel!
on July 26, 2012 at 6:58 pm Jack Corbin

I had to replant my cucumber this year because they did not get pollinated. Am waint for them to bloom
on October 13, 2012 at 11:27 am Patricia Lutringer Baker

My males have started to flower but no flowers on females yet, but I can see them starting, so am I understanding that the flowers open today can’t be used in three days if the females finally open?
on October 14, 2012 at 12:19 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

Hi Patricia, the flowers last only a day, so hopefully when your female flowers open, there will be new male flowers opening around them!
on October 14, 2012 at 12:35 pm Patricia Lutringer Baker

Thank you, more males, no females yet — may have to have a talk with these plants!!!
on November 17, 2012 at 10:55 pm Sydney Gardener

I have 3 x beehives in the garden, one right next to the cucumber plant! and still find myself self polinating! just in case lol thanks for post.
on May 8, 2013 at 8:19 am Sxy Smore

What kind of cucumber plant do you have?
on May 29, 2013 at 1:26 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

The year that I wrote this blog post, I started my cucumbers from seed and got a Spacemaker Bush variety : https://vegetablog.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/more-planting/
on June 6, 2013 at 11:09 am Bea

i planted my cucumber seeds little over 2 weeks and they already sprouted; just can’t wait for the flower to see if i have to hand pollinate it. This blog is awesome especially because you have the pictures illustrating the steps.
on June 6, 2013 at 1:26 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

Thanks, Bea! I’m so glad you found it helpful 🙂 Hopefully you won’t have to go to the extra trouble of hand-pollination, though!
on June 8, 2013 at 7:21 pm Robyn

How long does it take from planting to see flowers in right weather conditions?
on June 9, 2013 at 2:01 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

Hi Robyn, I’m not really sure… you’ll have to look at the information that came with your seeds or your seedling for that… sorry I can’t help!
on July 7, 2013 at 9:36 am Chris Bruggers

This is a really helpful — we also just learned this about pumpkin blossoms. I just checked our cucumbers and there’s not a single male blossom! I’ll check tomorrow. Any thoughts about this?
on July 9, 2013 at 3:25 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

Hi Chris,
I’m sorry I don’t have any real help for you. Just a thought…I wonder whether there are male and female pumpkin plants like some other types of plants (e.g. holly bushes)? I’m not a gardening expert…I just really like the hobby. But you might get some expert advice by calling your local extension office.
on July 19, 2013 at 8:20 pm Kaila

My plant has jad flowers for about a week now but they are only males! Help please i go out every morning and evening and check on my plants and my cucumber is only blomming males why is this?
on July 19, 2013 at 9:07 pm Natalie (QSOgirl)

Hi Kalia,
It seems like this happens to other people too, based on other comments I’ve seen. I think that female flowers come a bit later than the male flowers on the vine. If you don’t get female flowers on your vines after a while, contact your local Master Gardeners (usually with a university extension office and/or your local library might be able to tell you how to get in touch). I am not a gardening expert– I think you’ll have better luck asking a MG.
on May 30, 2014 at 10:28 am Erskine Fnicher

Thanks for posting this. I was having the same problem with the cucumbers I planted in my greenhouse, and your article came up when I googled to find a solution. I’m going to try it and see how well it works. In the meantime, I’ve done my second planting using parthenocarpic cucumbers. They produce only female blossoms, and will set fruit without the need for pollination.
on July 22, 2017 at 11:19 pm SunnyD

What is parthencarpic cucumber. Sounds like it could solve a lot of problems
on June 18, 2018 at 9:53 pm Tatiana Karakasheva

wow, thank you so much for this post! I thought of anything, BUT pollination issues. My garden is on a second floor balcony, and even though I do my best to attract beneficial insects, it’s mostly just the black house flies that visit… Hopefully, the hand-pollination will help my plants, too!