Cucumber troubles

[elhuerto]

Not sure what's going wrong this year, had great success with cukes the last 2 years but this time it's not working out. I grew some from seed as previously put them out and they sulked, keeled over and died so last week got some plug plants from the market and exactly the same has happened. It's quite warm, been watering regularly the only difference perhaps this year is that it's been more windy. I don't want to be without cucumbers this Summer so I though of sowing directly in the ground or going back to the market, getting some more plants, potting them up til they get a few more leaves and then planting out. Does that sound like a plan or would anyone suggest anything else?

Cheers!

[elhuerto]

[Ben Acre]

Personally I would only plant cucumbers in a cold frame or greenhouse. Outdoors they will suffer.

You may get away with planting them in June but I would not bother, Plug plants from GS's are normally forced in hot houses and again I would not buy them. HTH

[goodlife]

Ben..Elhuerto is in different climate to ours..so outdoor growing is not a problem. ;)

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It's quite warm, been watering regularly the only difference perhaps this year is that it's been more windy
Now that makes me wonder if you have over watered them..while cumbers are still young they are so easily killed with too much moisture. Perhaps the windy and warm weather did dry the top of the soil quickly but there was still plenty of moisture lower down..and regurlar watering just killed them..?
Your plan sounds ok..you could even plant them on little mounds so the stems are not 'standing' in excess moisture. Larger plants would certainly cope with damper situation. Other than that..you can take break from the watering can and poke the soil with your finger first to feel if the ground feels damp.. ;)

[davyw1]

The biggest killer of cucumbers is stem rot which is caused by to much water as Goodlife says, check the base of the stem.
When you plant a cucumber you do not plant it into the soil but on a mound above ground level so you moisten the soil without wetting the base of the stem.

[pigeonseed]

How frustrating. I hope you manage to get a third lot started. I'd give it another go - with suggestions the others have given. As it's very windy, did you harden them off first? Could you offer them any shelter from wind? Here near the sea, I make windbreaks with see-through plastic tied to sticks. It looks weird but seems to help.  ;D

Ben, it's not only good to grow cucs in Spain, but I always grow them here too!  :) Obv only some varieties are bred for outdoor growing in the UK. But there's quite a good choice.  :) I planted mine out this afternoon. So I hope I have more luck than elhuerto  :-\

[elhuerto]

Thanks for the replies, they were on small mounds but it may have been the combination of the the wind knocking them about and too much mositure around the stem. The windbreak sounds like a good idea, at least at the beginning. I'm going to try sowing directly and maybe a couple of market bought plants potted up. Toms and sweetcorn are doing great fortunately.

[allaboutliverpool]

I cannot think of ANY vegetable that has not done that in the 50 years I have been growing them!

Sometimes there is a an obvious cause, but often it is a case of try, try and try again.

When you look at the seed packet after the failure of a March or April sowing you often see the instructions - sow March to May. It is still May.

[elhuerto]

Thanks, I sowed some seeds directly this morning in the finest sieved compost and my wife has just come back from the market with a couple of plants I'll keep in pots for a few weeks as back up. I really don't want to be without cucumbers this Summer. I think also I got a bit cocky by initially sowing only the number of seeds I thought I'd need after a couple of years of success so lesson learnt there not to take things for granted.

[chriscross1966]

Many years ago my father didn't sow cucmbers until the start of June anyway.... same with sweetcorn.... he thinks we're all trying too hard to get stuff in too early, then suffering for what can be cold snappy weather....cukes don't appreciate temperatures below 10 degrees at night....

chrisc

[pigeonseed]

Do you think people were just used to a much shorter season in the past, chriscross? Maybe we're trying to keep up with all the hothouse veg we see in the shops these days.

[davyw1]

Do you think people were just used to a much shorter season in the past, chriscross? Maybe we're trying to keep up with all the hothouse veg we see in the shops these days.

I don't think we are trying to keep up with all the hothouse veg that we see in the shops or a shorter season i believe it is inpatients, lack of understanding and the weather changes in the area you live in.
As this is a cucumber thread i will stick to cucumbers it but its a much wider discussion.
Elhuerto,s climate is a lot hotter than here in Britain but there can be a much wider temperature fluctuation which may have contributed to his problem, also cucumbers having big leaves would indicate that need some shade at some time throughout the day and not be in full sun. this could be the main cause of his failure this year as he has done nothing different to the past.

[elhuerto]

That's a very fair point about the temperature fluctuations and not something I'd really thought about, last few weeks it's been up to a 15ºC difference. This week it looks like it'll be down to about 8 or 9. The cucumbers I put in pots in the greenhouse are looking fine and I'll probably wait a couple of weeks before putting them out.

[pigeonseed]

That is a big difference - hope it gets a bit warmer in time for planting out.