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Exploding Cucumbers

 
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Fee



Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 9:48 am    Post subject: Exploding Cucumbers Reply with quote
    

This year's realseeds catalogue arrived the other day, and while perusing it, I came across something I'd never heard of, 'Exploding Cucumbers'.

Has anyone ever grown them??

www.realseeds.co.uk wrote:
'The Exploding Cucumber'

The Achocha have always been a great hit both with us and everyone who has tried them. So we were intrigued to find that they have close relative known as the Exploding Cucumber, whose Latin name is - quite aptly - "Cyclanthera explodens". We've been after these for ages and ages - and finally managed to get hold of some seed last year, and they are now growing well outdoors and in the polytunnel.

Anyways, these grow similarly to the Achocha - a tendrilly climbing vine - although a little slower. The fruit are similar, except having an even weirder shape, and when mature, they burst open at the slightest touch, flinging their seeds out across the garden!

Eating use is the same as Achocha; the fruit can be used small (1/2 inch) in salads or mature (1 inch, exploded) cooked. No need to deseed them first as they do this for you at the slightest provocation! They are of course also an excellent thing to enter in your local horticultural show for the 'unusually shaped vegetable' category.

We are sorry that the packet is smaller than we would like, and the price is higher than we would like too. However, this due to the obvious difficulties involved in seed collection . . . . . . .


And comes with a health warning

Not sure I'd want to grow them, but the seeds might make good Christmas pressies to veg-growing friends.

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brilliant. I want some!

Penny Outskirts



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They sound like great fun - that's my sister's christmas pressie sorted then

Fee



Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Right, I've just ordered some

RosemaryJane



Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 46
Location: Hertfordshire
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Penny wrote:
They sound like great fun - that's my sister's christmas pressie sorted then


Errr..... which sister?!

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 06 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Judith: if you buy any would you like to split the pack with me?

Sally Too



Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland
PostPosted: Sat Oct 28, 06 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just got all my seeds delivered from realseeds.. brilliant. This & Last year I grew several of their varieties - next year it'll all be theirs. I like their philosophy.

I resisted the exploding cucumbers however!

Sal

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