Kitchen Garden Forum

For the last two years, when I finally put my outdoor cucumbers into the ground towards the end of May, having hardened them off properly, they stalled and did not put on any new growth for about a month. They eventually did start to grow but a month had been lost.

Why should this happen? What should I do this year to ensure they keeping growing when planted out?

There are many different factors in play here. It might be that conditions weren't quite warm enough. We had a hot summer last year but I remember May being pretty tepid. It might also be that your plants may have had a bit of a check in growth before they were planted out (they may have stayed in their pots for a little too long, perhaps,) which they can take some time to recover from. Something else to consider is if you are growing the right variety, specifically a variety for growing outdoors.

Warmth, sunlight and water is what cucumbers enjoy in abundance. I suggest you warm the soil beforehand with cloches or by covering the soil with polythene. After you've planted them out, keep them covered with cloches. I might also suggest you grow them through black polythene which has many advantages: it retains water, heats up in the sun, and keeps down weeds.

My thoughts were cold, or wet, or even heavy soil, as the answer.