Gynoecious Cucumber Varieties

Pollination Problems

• Female flowers aren’t able to pollinate themselves, so gynoecious crops have to have monoecious plants mixed in among them. Seed companies often combine the two types of seeds in one packet so gardeners do not have to plan out how many monoecious plants they need to get. Some varieties of gynoecious cucumbers actually don’t require pollination, a status known as parthenocarpic, but these are special cultivars. Not all gynoecious cucumbers are parthenocarpic.

Pickling Varieties

• North Carolina State University tested several types of pickling and slicing cucumbers for disease-resistance and yield to see if the size or flower type had any influence. “Vlaspik” is a pickling variety that is gynoecious and, according to the tests, produces lots of edible cucumbers early in the season. Mississippi State University Extension notes that “Calypso” and “Carolina,” two other gynoecious pickling varieties, have good color and shape, along with resistance to multiple diseases.

Slicing Varieties

• Two varieties that are both gynoecious and parthenocarpic are “Diva” and “Corinto.” The Johnny’s Selected Seeds company notes both are thin-skinned, with “Corinto” having good temperature and beetle resistance. “Diva” is seedless and has a prominent sweet taste. North Carolina State University notes “Dasher II” is a high-yield gynoecious variety that produces cucumbers early in the season. Mississippi State University Extension lists “Cherokee,” “Gemini” and the aptly named “Slicemaster” as additional gynoecious slicing varieties, with “Gemini” and “Slicemaster” having good disease resistance.

Considerations

• Gynoecious cucumbers are hybrids. These types of plants do produce seeds, but they don’t transfer all of the qualities of the hybrid plant into its seeds. The plant that grows from the hybrid seed won’t be the same as the parent hybrid. It will still be a cucumber plant, but the quality may be worse and the plant weaker than the parent. So while you’re getting more food off the parent plant, you won’t be able to use the seeds from that food to start new gynoecious plants. You’ll have to buy new seeds whenever you want to add another cucumber plant to your garden.

Parthenocarpic Risk

• The University of Florida notes that parthenocarpic cucumbers need protection from pollinators and that planting gynoecious cultivars that produce few to no male flowers is another means of preventing pollination. While parthenocarpic flowers don’t need pollination and will produce cucumbers anyway, they can still be pollinated. The University of Florida warns that if this happens the fruit will likely be misshapen and bitter. Thus, if you're planting parthenocarpic cucumber varieties, the university says to use gynoecious varieties and to keep the cucumbers isolated from possible pollinators like bees.