Squirting or exploding cucumber plants belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. ... The plant bears 2-inch (5 cm.) bluish green hairy fruit. Once the fruit has reached maturity, it explosively ejects the brown seeds contained therein and detaches from the stem.
- Is exploding cucumber edible?
- Should I mist cucumber plants?
- How cucumber seeds are dispersed?
- How do seeds burst?
- Why did my cucumber explode?
- Can plants explode?
- Can you overwater a cucumber plant?
- Do cucumbers like coffee grounds?
- Should you water cucumbers everyday?
- How do cucumbers reproduce?
- How do sunflower seeds disperse?
- What is explosive seed dispersal?
Is exploding cucumber edible?
The plant is native to the Mediterranean region but has been introduced to other areas as a garden curiosity for its distinctive explosive fruits. Squirting cucumber contains poisonous cucurbitacins, and all parts of the plant can be fatal if ingested.
Should I mist cucumber plants?
How to care for cucumbers. In the greenhouse, water cucumber plants regularly and mulch the soil to retain moisture and keep the area around them weed-free. Increase humidity by damping down the greenhouse regularly, or spraying the cucumber plants with a fine mist from your hose.
How cucumber seeds are dispersed?
Those seeds are spread mainly by animals eating the fruit. The seeds get spread by defecation, and by luck- the seeds are surrounded by a thick, tenacious material that causes the seeds to stick to the animal, only to fall off later.
How do seeds burst?
Explosive action
When the seeds are ready, the pod dries up. When the pod dries, the inside of the pod dries faster than the outside. This makes the pod twist inside, suddenly splitting open violently, rolling into a little spiral. When this roll happens, it makes the seeds fly out of the pod in all directions.
Why did my cucumber explode?
The squirting cucumber is so-called because of its unusual form of rapid plant movement. When ripe, the fruits pop off the end of their stems. They then forcibly eject their mucilage-covered seeds in an explosive stream. This unusual adaptation is thought to aid in seed dispersal.
Can plants explode?
Sometimes, plant explosions are caused by the use of impure chemicals. Impure chemicals may produce large amounts of gas, which can trigger a dangerous reaction and ensuing explosion. Another main cause of plant explosions is boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions.
Can you overwater a cucumber plant?
Overwatering is one of the worst things that can happen in a garden. Although you may think you are helping your cucumbers by watering more often, too much water can damage and quickly kill them by allowing roots to sit in damp soil and by removing beneficial oxygen from the soil.
Do cucumbers like coffee grounds?
Spinach, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes are some of the vegetables that seem to benefit from the anti-microbial activity of coffee grounds. They are prone to many rust and mildew diseases, especially when they are in the seedling stage. Compost containing just 5% coffee grounds can provide this protective effect.
Should you water cucumbers everyday?
The main care requirement for cucumbers is water—consistent watering! They need at least one inch of water per week (or more, if temperatures are sky-high). Put your finger in the soil and when it is dry past the first joint of your finger, it is time to water. Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit.
How do cucumbers reproduce?
Cucumber flowers are either male or female, and fruits develop only from female flowers. The male flowers supply pollen, which is carried by bees to the female flowers, whose ovaries, once the flowers are pollinated, swell. ... Fruit and seed production, after all, take a lot of energy.
How do sunflower seeds disperse?
Different members of the sunflower family can disperse seeds in different ways, including through wind and animal dispersion. ... Other kinds of asteraceae, such as the cocklebur, have prickly seeds that attach themselves to animal fur or skin or to human pant legs, socks and shoes to guarantee dispersal.
What is explosive seed dispersal?
Explosive! Some plants distribute their seeds by violently ejecting them so that they fall well away from the parent plant. This is explosive dispersal. ... The small seeds are very effectively thrown away from the immediate area.
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