Kitchen Garden Forum

Just returned home after 5 days away to find one gherkin plant, two cucumbers and one melon have all rotted and died. They were planted outside in borders covered with individual cloches and I don't think the temperature was too cold while we were away. They all look as if they've rotted, yet I thought they all liked to be in moist soil. Am going to the garden centre to buy some replacements. Any hints on how I can avoid a repeat problem please?

Hi Primrose,

Sorry to hear that. If you have had the amount of rain that we've had this last week, I should think a combination of lower temperatures and very wet conditions done for them.

Cheers, PJ.

Primrose

I'm not sure on this one, but I suspect the answer lies in the question. All the plants you mention are prone to various rots and wilts later in the season. If they have been covered with "individual cloches" I suspect the lack of air circulation over 5 days has been to blame.
Also I think it is far too early to have melons or cucumbers (including gherkins) outside. I have cucumbers waiting to be planted in the polytunnel - melons I gave up on a few years ago as a sure-fire dead loss.
Get some more plants and put them out when it is warmer - surround them for protection, but don't completely cover them.

Thank you both. I'll get some replacement plants if I can find some and try to keep them protected, but not completely covered. A little difficult with with the individual water bottle cloches I'm using, but perhaps proping them up on bricks will ensure some free air circulation and prevent the rot.

You could try making them little fleece cloches. If you can find some large lampshade frames (in a charity shop?) you could cover those with some fleece - protection and air circulation!

If you cut the tops off the bottles too, to make a tube, this works quite well, and the little plants can grow up out of the top if they feel so inclined!

Angi wrote:You could try making them little fleece cloches. If you can find some large lampshade frames (in a charity shop?) you could cover those with some fleece - protection and air circulation!

reminds me of a joke I played on my brother in law who is head gardener at a private estate in the south. I sent him a samlple of the fleece caps i wore in my work as a theatre nurse, the latest must have, the 'cauli cap', to keep his curds protected. It backfired when in return sent me a specimen item he called the 'cucumber cover' no guesses what that was

*snigger*

I liked that ! I suppose a coloured shower cap would prove a good cauli cover, although maybe the head of it would sweat a bit.