'Mater plants

[suddenseer]

Mebbe the bugs aren't pollinating. Try a soft tooth brush on 10 mins worth of flowers from different plants.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/05/arthur-schwartz-1/

The best pickles are barrel or crock cured (not canned or sealed) and use clean, clear creek water from a known safe source. It's the bacteria that produce the fermentation and acid just like sauerkraut.
Never heat or cook the recipe.
Be sure the water is lukewarm at hottest (or cooler) before you put the cukes in it.
Never sugar, and for God's sake no coloring!

Good article here:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/real-pickles/

Good luck finding a safe crick around here. The 'safest' one turned out to have a dangerous amout of ecoli.