Gardening Question of the Day

A new gardening question of the day appears every day of the year on the front page of Almanac.com. Below is the answer to today's question, followed by questions from the last week (in case you miss a day!).

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Gardening Question of the Day

What makes a Kirby cucumber burpless?

Kirby cucumbers, like other greenhouse cucumbers, are milder than garden grown slicing or pickling cucumbers. As a result, to some people they seem to be easier to digest, resulting in less burping. The greenhouse cucumbers now known as "Kirby-type" were developed to produce fruit parthenogenically, that is, without pollination of the flowers. Thus, Kirby-type would produce fruit in a greenhouse. The Kirby's have no seeds, a very tender skin, and a distinctive long, slender shape. The selection process that resulted in the seedless, thin-skinned cucumbers also selected out some of the compounds that produced the digestion problems. Nowadays, the easy-to-digest qualities of the Kirby-type cucumbers have been re-selected by plant breeders. Home gardeners can choose from a number of seed sources for burpless cucumbers. Look for varieties that are long and slender with solid dark green skins.

Last Seven Days of Gardening Questions

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Please tell me about ashes from a wood-burning fireplace. How much can I use in the garden? Are they good for blueberry bushes and asparagus? [ANSWER]

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

What can you tell me about the dried orange flowers called Chinese lanterns? [ANSWER]

Monday, November 17, 2008

Can you suggest some suet recipes, for this winter's birds? [ANSWER]

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I dug up a raised garden bed that had oriental and Asiatic lily bulbs and bearded iris growing there for three years. Can I use this bed for vegetables now? [ANSWER]