Too Hot to Set

To set fruit, that is!

My cucumbers in our raised veggie beds are not producing fruit, so I suspected what I had learned in my Master Gardener's class about hot weather and some tomatoes. For some sorts of tomato plants, really hot weather causes the fruit not to set.

But our tomatoes were just fine during the month of June. In fact, I got sort of sick of them. The freezer is full of blanched whole ones, tomato juice, and tomato sauce. 

Now I want cukes! And squash! And eggplant!

What I read this morning is that cucumbers may have trouble "setting" in hot weather. It has something to do with the plant producing only male flowers, and that means no cross pollination by those big bumble bees. 

And not many cukes for my special salad dressing. But you can try this dressing on coleslaw.

Sweet and Sour Dressing 
(for thinly sliced cukes or coleslaw)
Ingredients:
1 cup Blue Plate Mayo
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8-1/4 teaspoon table salt

Mix all four ingredients. 
Pour over 4 cups thinly sliced (I use a Dutch cheese cutter) peeled cucumber or thinly sliced white cabbage.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve cold.