Bitter spinach and cucumbers

[compostpopeParticipant]

Hello Charles

This time last year I sowed spinach “giant winter” but in the spring found that it tasted really bitter and most of it ended on the compost heap, likewise my outdoor cucumbers (variety Burplee). What is the likely cause? I’m planning to sow spinach Toscane and/or Amazon this weekend – is it likely to be edible?

Compostpope

[charlesModerator]

 I wonder, was the spinach bitter before it started to make a flowering stem? No reason it should be before flowering, and I don’t see why your new sowing should make bitter leaves.

For cucumber I think you mean Burpless? (Burpee is an American seed company – confusing there are so many burps). Possibly you have another cucumber nearby and it is cross pollinating, could induce bitterness. My outdoor La Diva are sweet, but an indoor "lemon cucumber" with male flowers was bitter and made other nearby varieties bitter, so I pulled it out.

[compostpopeParticipant]

Spinach was already on the compost heap before it had a chance to make a flower stem! Will sow and hope for a better result this time round…

I bought the cucumber seeds here in switzerland “Burpee Hybrid” so I assume they are Burpless. Plenty of cucumbers in neighbouring plots – how close would they need to be to cause cross pollination? Could a courgette in the same bed be likely culprit? Would an F1 hybrid be less susceptible?

CP

[charlesModerator]

 I don’t think they cross pollinate with courgettes, neighbouring cucumber could be a factor but more importantly perhaps is plant stress and if cucumbers are too dry they can become bitter, which may have happened this summer. Hence their abundance and sweetness when soil has plenty of moisture-holding organic matter.

[Author]

Posts