Have you ever heard of prickly cucumbers? Believe me, they do exist! When referring to cucumbers, the term “prickly” refers to the presence of spikes on the fruit. These spikes can range from extreme nobbles to fully fledged spikey prickles! It’s simply amazing the range of cucumbers that Mother Nature has given us 🙂
Why Are My Cucumbers Prickly?
Each cucumber has its unique characteristics, one of which is the size of its prickles or nobbles. Every type of cucumber has its own variations when it comes to its form, size, color, and taste. Prickles are simply another characteristic to factor in! These prickles or spikes can help protect a cucumber from many types of hungry animals that would otherwise get a free lunch! (dinner or breakfast :))
How Do You Get Rid Of Cucumber Spikes?
You can’t do anything to a growing cucumber to get rid of spikes, and if you do this during growth, it could affect the health of the plant. Therefore, it is best to do so after the cucumber is ready to be picked or harvested.
How hard this would be depends on the prickliness, or spikiness involved! If they are relatively dull, you could simply take the spikes off with your fingernails or with light rubbing. For more serious situations, these spikes will need to be rubbed off with a cloth or even a stiff brush. As a cucumber grows and ages, these spikes generally get harder to remove!
What Kind Of Cucumbers Are Prickly?
The spiny-fruited vine that we use is called CUCUMIS ANGURIA. Some gardeners refer to it as Spiny Cucumber. Still, it is more often known as West India Gherkin or Bur Gherkin in other parts of the globe because pickles produced from immature regular garden cucumbers are often referred to as “gherkins” in North America.
- Burpless
The Burpless type of cucumber is known for producing long, smooth fruits that may reach lengths of up to 12 inches (30 centimeters). The meat of the cucumbers seldom has an unpleasant bitter flavor, and the cucumbers themselves have a thin, silky, and dark green skin.
- Diva
Diva is a cucumber with a smooth, prickle-free skin that is also a good source of vitamin C. Cucumber hybrid Diva, which received the All-America Selections prize in 2002, is now widely available. Cucumbers from this type may grow up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) long.
- Marketer
Another type that has proven to be fruitful is known as Marketer. This particular cucumber produces long and thin fruits and has dark green skin. The size of the cucumbers will be around 8 or 9 inches (20cm or 22cm).
Can I Eat Prickly Cucumbers?
It is not fatal to eat cucumbers with spikes, although quite unpleasant. I would recommend simply feeling the cucumber’s skin to see if the amount of ‘prickliness’ would be too much to eat. If so, simply peel the skin to enjoy the cucumber flesh inside. If the prickles or spikes are less prominent, you may even be able to dull enough to eat by washing with water and scrubbing a little bit 🙂
How To Handle Prickly Cucumbers?
If the cucumbers you have are sharp, you need to use extreme caution while handling them so that you do not injure your hands. Use a pair of gardening gloves to remain on your hands until you have successfully moved the cucumbers to the kitchen without damaging them. Here are some points you should keep in mind:
- Use Hand Gloves
Put on your rubber or plastic kitchen gloves before washing them to protect yourself from cuts and scrapes. You may handle your cucumbers with your bare hands as long as they have the same prickliness as kiwis.
- Scrapping Prickly Cucumbers
Wearing a pair of plastic cleaning gloves can keep your bare hands from being pricked when scraping the prickles off of cucumbers while being washed under running water. Use a gentle brush to carefully clean their skin and remove the spikes, which may be resistant to your efforts.
- Use Kitchen Towel
You may wrap them in a dishtowel and then aggressively wipe them to remove the spikes. Be sure to throw away or dispose of whatever is on the towels by emptying the contents of the towels straight into your garbage disposal or trash bin.
- Clean with Water
Cleaning the cucumbers with water is another method through which you can easily handle the prickly cucumbers. If your cucumbers have spikes, then wash them thoroughly with water, and the spikes can be easily removed.
How Much Water Do Cucumber Plants Need?
Cucumbers’ most extraordinary results may be achieved by providing consistent, thorough watering around once per week or more often if the temperature is high. Fruit that has an unusual form or a sour flavor may result from insufficient or irregular moisture levels.
What Do Overwatered Cucumbers Look Like?
Overwatering is a typical cause of yellowing leaves. A plant’s roots are damaged and unable to absorb nutrients. When a plant’s leaves become yellow due to overwatering, they are more likely to become weak and shrivel up. Reduce watering if this occurs.
Is It Safe To Eat Yellow Cucumbers?
You shouldn’t let the yellowing of the cucumbers continue. If you find a yellow cucumber, you may assume it is beyond its prime. As they mature, cucumbers get a savory flavor, and yellow cucumbers are often not suited for human eating. There are a few other potential causes of yellowing in cucumbers, including a virus, excess water, or an imbalance of nutrients.
What Happens If I Eat Bad Cucumbers?
Only minor symptoms of rotting indicate that the cucumber is okay to consume as long as the affected regions are removed. The cucumber’s skin is slick to the touch. In this situation, throw away the whole cucumber since the deterioration on the exterior indicates much greater deterioration inside the vegetable.
Do Cucumbers Need A Lot Of Sun?
Cucumbers may be grown in almost any kind of soil as long as it has enough drainage, although sandy loam and loose soil are ideal for their development. Growing cucumbers need a lot of direct sunshine. Do not plant them in areas where tree roots would deprive them of water and nutrients because their roots may extend as deep as 36 to 48 inches.
FAQ
Do Cucumbers Grow Well In Containers?
Cucumbers like the moisture-retaining properties of plastic or ceramic containers. Pots must have holes on the bottom to let water drain. Your crop will increase if you use banks at least a foot deep.
What Causes Pointy Cucumber?
Cucumbers are a gourd and a member of the nightshade family. Annual plants that may reach five feet in height and produce white blossoms are called sage. You should know a few things about cucumbers before buying your seeds or seedlings: they are a simple plant to cultivate.
How Often Should I Water My Cucumbers?
As cucumbers contain a significant amount of water, it is essential to water them consistently. If you want your cucumber plants to thrive and produce plenty of huge fruit, you need to water them at least once a week.
Why Are My Cucumbers Skin Tough?
The initial few weeks of a cucumber’s development are notoriously harsh and challenging on the skin. As the fruit ripens, the skin hardens, and the seed coat forms. A rough-skinned seedling may also contribute to uneven skin, but there is no means of determining how much of this is related to the fruit’s maturing process.
Can I Pick A Cucumber Too Early?
Yes, but it all depends on the kind of food. You may start them in pots or seed trays late spring or early summer. They’re an excellent choice for any garden. However, most types have a limited shelf life.
Conclusion
The cucumber is a favorite of most gardeners. The prickly and smooth-skinned cucumbers may be grown by almost everyone. To understand why your cucumbers are prickly, the most important thing to know is simply the fundamental needs of cultivating this crop, whether prickly or smooth.