sick cucumber

[tracie]

Hi All,

I planted two cucumbers into growbags, one if fine and the other one has gone all droopy, looks like it needs watering, but it does not need watering. I have been carefull not to overwater because I know this may cause rot. I have fleeced it over to try to keep it warm.

The cucumbers are in my polly tunnel and it has not been scorching in there lately, any idea's.

Thanks

Tracie

[vegpatchmum]

Hi Tracie,

Where is the poorly cue in relation to the healthy one? I.e. is it nearer to the door and therefore possibly feeling the effects of the unseasonably cold weather as a result?

Is it possible that drainage is an issue and it has had a touch too much water (in my experience cucumbers don't like soggy feet )?

I'm sure a more experienced member will be along soon with more suggestions. Hope you get it sorted.

VPM
x

[tracie]

Hi,

If anything I would say the sick one ismore protected than the one that is OK.

I have been sparing with the water, and the stem is fine.

I thought it was the cold but I have fleeced it well now for a good week it has not got better or worse, just looksvery sad !!

[John]

Hello Tracie
In my experience it is impossible to rescue any of these cucurbits like melons, cucs, squashes and courgettes once they show signs of not thriving. It is usually some rotting or damage to the part of the stem which is just below soil level. There are lots of cuc plants in the garden centres at the moment if you want a replacement and that will be easier than trying to grow another from seed.

John

[tracie]

Hi John,

thanks for your reply, I am begining to think that cues are the most difficult thing to grow.

Having nursed tham and given them some extra special treatment they just give up.

Can you recommend a fertliser for cucumbers please.

Thanks

Tracie

[vegpatchmum]

I am begining to think that cues are the most difficult thing to grow.

Tracie

LOL, radish and beetroot are the most difficult things to grow in my opinion - I simply can't grow them no matter what I do . Never had a problem with cucumbers but as John says, when one starts to fail its nigh on impossible to bring it right again.

You don't say what variety it is that you've tried. I think, as with many things, certain types/variants are harder to grow than others and more prone to fail. I've always played it safe and grown Marketmore and never had a problem so far other than losing the entire crop to fungus the first year we grew them - (too many plants too close together - lesson learned ).

Hope you can get your hands on some young plants to compensate for the failing specimen.

VPM
x

[tracie]

I grow or try to grow Zeina which are expensive.

Beetroot are easy, soak the seeds for 10 mins prior to planting (seeds have a natural germination inhibitor coating the seeds and soaking helps to reduce this) grow in a cell,. several seeds to a cell with then prick out into final place when you have 4 leaves always works for me.

We have been eating beetroot for 3 week now, I grow Pablo better than Boltardy in my opnion.

Hope this helps.

Tracie

[Nature's Babe]

Like Vegpatchmum i find marketmore are easy, and I really thought the Italian marketmore had the edge, it grew stongly and very productively.

[AdeTheSpade]

I've had the exact same problem , so thank you John for enlightening me as to possible reasons why - maybe I caught the stems when I was putting the canes in (both the cucs I've grown have gone the same way), so rather than starting again from scratch, I'll go to the garden centre and get a couple more.