Cucumber Pollination

Some varieties of cucumbers are self pollinating while others require the help of honey bees to pollinate their flowers and produce fruit. Be sure to read the instruction for the variety of cucumber you are growing. Generally it is a good idea to promote the bee population in your garden to help all of the plants pollinate. Take extra precaution when applying any insecticides in your garden that could possibly affect the bee population in the area. Misshapen and aborted fruit are symptoms of inadequate pollination.

Specialized seedless varieties of cucumbers that are grown in greenhouses do not require pollen to bear fruit.

Generally pollinating varieties of cucumbers produce pollen producing male flowers first followed by t he fruit producing female flowers. Some varieties of cucumber have been breed to produce only female flowers. These varieties require a pollen producing cucumber variety mixed in to pollinate the vegetable producing flowers.