I noticed that some of my cucumber flowers yield a cucumber, while others don’t. Am I doing something wrong?

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is an annual vine whose fruit has two primary uses. Some varieties are grown for fresh eating and others for pickling. The cucumber is in the Cucurbita family that also includes squash, pumpkins and melons. This family is made up of warm-season crops and will not tolerate temperatures below 32 degrees. They actually prefer air temperatures above 70 degrees and soil temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees. 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water a week is suggested for maximum production plus supplemental fertilizations when the vines first begin to run and when blossoms set. Cucumbers need plenty of room to grow, taking 10 to 20 square feet of ground area so you might want to consider a trellis. They can sometimes be reluctant climbers, so heavy twine might be needed to secure the plant.

Most cucumber plants are monoecious meaning that they produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers usually precede the female flowers and at that time no pollination takes place. Since pollination must occur to produce fruit and the male flowers are not pollinated, only female flowers can bear fruit. Some varieties of cucumbers are gynoecious and produce all female flowers and are largely self-pollinating. If you buy seeds for a gynoecious variety, the seed company might supply a few colored seeds (for easy identification) that produce male flowers. Include one of these plants in each row to assure good pollination. Many times gynoecious varieties will out-produce all others because every flower has the potential of becoming a fruit.

So there is nothing to be concerned about – you are doing nothing wrong. Actually, by being aware enough to notice the habit of your plants, you are doing a great job of keeping ahead of potential problems.

What is the latest news on using bone meal in the garden? I have heard conflicting views – some people swear by it, others say it’s worthless since most of the nutrient value is eliminated during the steaming process it undergoes, and then others are concerned about possibly introducing disease into the garden since this product is derived from animal bones. Please help clear up the confusion.

Bone meal is a source of slow-release phosphorus. Most retail bone meal products are coupled with slow-release nitrogen. Both of these elements are significant to good plant health and growth. They affect the plant’s vigor, its photosynthesis process, and its root growth. Many people add bone meal to their soil as a safety net. Perhaps it’s a little like taking a daily vitamin. They feel its nutrient value offsets any problems inherent in poor or unamended soil conditions. Most homeowners want quick results with minimum preparation. The plants respond accordingly to this organic fertilizer.

The commercial bone meal products available in the U.S. must meet stringent USDA regulations. The USDA has not allowed British beef or cattle-generated products to be imported. According to the USDA, during the late 1970’s England started using a heat-only method of treating animal carcasses that were to be used for protein-based meal and bone meal. Prior to that time, they used a combination of heat and solvent extraction. The USDA knows that heat plus solvent extraction kills the BSE causal organism (or mad cow disease), but heat without solvent extraction does not. The U.S. has never abandoned the heat plus solvent extraction method. It seems very unlikely that we need to be concerned about using bone meal in our gardens for fear of contracting BSE. The U.S. has never had a confirmed case even though the USDA has been actively looking for cases since 1989. Our method of preparing bone meal kills the BSE organism but does not dissipate the nutrient value.