Knowledgebase

Cucumber Prickles #878846

Asked July 26, 2024, 9:28 AM EDT

Good morning! I have grown cucumbers for years and have never seen the little black prickles growing from the bumps. This is something I even noticed when the cucumbers are very tiny and starting to grow this year. I have just been rubbing them off prior to washing and eating and everything tastes fine. Is this anything to be concerned about, or perhaps due to growing conditions and perhaps the variety? I circled some of the bumps in the photo as an example. I am not 100% certain, but believe I planted pickling cucumbers and Straight 8s, but did not save the seed packets. Thank you again for your help!

Harford County Maryland

Expert Response

There doesn't appear to be a lot of information about what influences trichome (the structure producing the "spines" on cucumber fruit) color, and from what we can tell from looking for research on this subject (there isn't much), it does not seem to indicate any problem with the fruit or plant health overall. Environmental factors, combined with plant genetic expression, likely contributes. If the overall plant has been growing and fruiting well and doesn't have any other symptoms, we wouldn't be concerned.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 26, 2024, 2:04 PM EDT
Some varieties of cucumbers have black spines, some have white spines, and others are spineless. It all depends on the variety. Some types with black spines include Long Green Improved, Boston Pickling, and National Pickling. Straight Eights have white spines. This is normal growth for cucumbers and nothing to worry about. Rubbing off the spines prior to washing is exactly the right thing to do.

Enjoy your crop and let us know if you have any further questions.
Christa
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 26, 2024, 2:11 PM EDT
Great! Thank you!
-Jessica

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 26, 2024, at 2:04 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied July 26, 2024, 5:55 PM EDT
Thank you so much!!!
-Jessica

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 26, 2024, at 2:11 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied July 26, 2024, 5:55 PM EDT
You're welcome!
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 26, 2024, 6:13 PM EDT

Loading ...