Cucumber seeds

Any

Wonder whether anyone has any experience with preparing seeds from cucumbers?
I have these lovely mini cucumbers from shop and I would try to experiment and try to grow them. What do you do with the seeds you take out from fresh cucumber to get planting seed? Anyone?

Maybe be a bit daft, but I want to try to grow jsut these ones...

frugal_shopper_2

Instructions with photos on the realseeds site at the bottom of this page.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/cucumbers.html
They also have a free downloadable seed saving guide which covers many other types of veg & herbs.
Bear in mind that most cucumbers grown commercially are hybrids so they may not come true from saved seed.

Any

They are the Tamra cucumbers!!!
Nearly distinct!

What does that mean, they are hybrid (obviously I know what the word means, but don't get it in this connection)? So how come they grow to producers?

frugal_shopper_2

Tamra are not a hybrid variety, they are an exceptionally rare heirloom variety partially because they produce very few seeds making it difficult for anyone to grow in sufficient quantities to sell.
Tamra will come true from seed whereas an F1 hybrid is a cross of 2 varieties the seed of which will usually grow with similar characteristics of one or the other of the parent plants, the only way to produce seed that will grow with the characteristics of the original F1 plant is to cross the same 2 varieties again. It's explained better in this article:
http://www.vegetablegardeningguru.com/heirlooms-vs-hybrids.html

lisakay_2

I'm pretty sure that with cuc's you need to leave them on the plant until over ripe. you then scrape out the seeds and i think you leave them to soak in water for a few days before straining and drying. i would slice one open and see if any of the seeds look big enough and developed enough to do anything, then check the link that frugal-shopper put up xx

Any

lisakay wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that with cuc's you need to leave them on the plant until over ripe. you then scrape out the seeds and i think you leave them to soak in water for a few days before straining and drying. i would slice one open and see if any of the seeds look big enough and developed enough to do anything, then check the link that frugal-shopper put up xx

Well, that is a bit difficult to judge whether they are big enough as it is mini cucumber and I've never seen how the seeds are supposed to look like.

I did check the link. The over ripe bit worries me, the link mentions it too - obviously they wouldn't sell over ripe cucumbers in shops.

I might still try it, I mean, there is 30 cucumbers in a pack so wasting one is not such a big deal.

ginvzt

My grandpa used to collect seeds from tomatoes/cucumbers he was growing. He would leave the cucumber on the plant until it has gone overgrown and yellow.

Lotus-eater

Any wrote: »

I might still try it, I mean, there is 30 cucumbers in a pack so wasting one is not such a big deal.

No, but wasting your time when you could be putting that time into something more productively, could be a big deal, well for me anyway.

Don't bother trying with this cucs seeds, get some proper outdoor seeds which are bred to grow in this country.

Any

Lotus-eater wrote: »

No, but wasting your time when you could be putting that time into something more productively, could be a big deal, well for me anyway.

Don't bother trying with this cucs seeds, get some proper outdoor seeds which are bred to grow in this country.

Might be for you, but for me it isn't a big deal as believe you me with space for growing being about 2m x 2m there isn't much else I can do.

I just want 1 plant to try, I haven't even got enough space for it, if it work I will have to find one.

Thanks anyway

Lotus-eater

If you've only got 2mx2m growing space, then I would have thought it was even more important to maximise your potential crops.

Any

different kind of attitude... I like growing stuff for the fun of it, I like the challenge..
Don't take me wrong, I like my own fruit&veg, but if the end product was the only reason I would probably not bother and just spend the £10 at a market