# Calling gardening experts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561 "2012-08-15T14:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/1 "2012-08-15T14:07:15Z")
I have a cucumber plant and getting what are probably the last few cukes off of it - except they didn’t look quite “done” (but weren’t growing any more). Two a flat-out yellow and one is a lighter green than normal. Are they safe to eat? They otherwise look/smell normal but I’m wondering where you draw the line…I’m thinking the yellow ones probably not but the light green one is had to say. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/2 "2012-08-15T14:43:09Z")
Toss the yellow ones or feed them to the chickens as they are no good. The light green one should be OK. Are they pickling type cucumbers? Those tend to be smaller than the slicers. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/3 "2012-08-16T17:53:54Z")
Yellowness in cucumbers usually just means they’re somewhat overripe. I like them kind of yellow, they get a tangy flavor (which some find bitter and unpleasant). A yellow cucumber will not poison you, so you might as well try a slice before tossing it out. ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/4 "2012-08-16T22:42:46Z")
Thx. Huh I figured they weren’t ripe enough, not too ripe. I’ll give a small taste. Hate to toss the lt green one, it’s big. 🙂 Thx ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/5 "2012-08-17T01:35:36Z")
Can I piggyback on this and ask if the same applies to zucchini? The part about the yellowing, I mean? Does it mean overripe? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/6 "2012-08-17T03:15:42Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Can I piggyback on this and ask if the same applies to zucchini? The part about the yellowing, I mean? Does it mean overripe? Hmm, usually they say that zucchini turning yellow (before fully maturing) is a sign of nitrogen-poor soil and/or zucchini blossom end rot, caused by not having enough calcium in the soil. Are your zukes getting fully developed and nicely green **before** they turn yellow? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/7 "2012-08-17T14:13:29Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Thx. Huh I figured they weren’t ripe enough, not too ripe. I’ll give a small taste. Hate to toss the lt green one, it’s big. 🙂 Thx The green one is fine. Cucumbers are supposed to be green. It’s the yellow ones that are suspicious. As I’ve never tasted the yellow ones (no need to, I’ve had enough green ones to make up for the few yellow ones), I don’t know what they taste like, but I can’t imagine it’s too good. I’ve always been told to toss them out. I actually give them to my friend to feed to her chickens. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/8 "2012-08-17T15:44:36Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Hmm, usually they say that zucchini turning yellow (before fully maturing) is a sign of nitrogen-poor soil and/or zucchini blossom end rot, caused by not having enough calcium in the soil. Are your zukes getting fully developed and nicely green **before** they turn yellow? What I am finding is that while most of the are turning fully green and are just fine, some of them (usually those that are under a lot of foliage) are about half green, but the end of the zucchini is yellowing. I wondered if they were turning yellow because I left them there too long or some other reason. ---
**Author:** ![Coustralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Coustralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coustralee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/9 "2012-08-17T16:57:02Z")
you may just be getting some that havent developed properly, happens quite often with pumpkins that aren’t fertilized properly ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/10 "2012-08-18T03:02:10Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The green one is fine. Cucumbers are supposed to be green. Not extremely light green. They are huge, hate to toss, might try a bite - hm - ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-gardening-experts/631561/11 "2012-08-18T05:46:57Z")
I ate some yellowish cukes earlier this summer. They were over ripe picklers. The seeds were woody and they were a bit bitter.