Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi all,

I'm very new to gardening and already need some advice. My cucumber plant was doing really well and had several cues growing nicely. Overnight the whole plant wilted and the leaves are curled up and kind of crispy. I thought this must be due to all the rain we've been getting, so I uprooted it, put it in some drier compost and put it in the greenhouse to stop it getting rained on. It isn't doing well at all. Is there anything I can do? Should I cut some of the leaves off? I'll be grateful for any advice to help me bring it back to life.

Hi Fruitylala & welcome to the vine.
It does sound as though your cucumber's had it! Is there any sort of blotchy yellowing on the leaves, that could be cucumber mosaic virus which would cause the plant to collapse. Is the stem damaged near the bottom? It could have been chewed by a slug or snail & weakened. As it's been very wet as you say it could just have become waterlogged & may recover, you'll just have to keep up the T.L.C. & keep your fingers crossed.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

I think what you've got fruitylala is a case of cucumber neck rot. Cucumbers hate being watered round the base stem, and if it has been outside, it would most definitely not have 'enjoyed' the torrential rain we have been having. Above where they stem has rotted, you should have some white nodules, which are prospective roots. Putting the stem into dry compost above these, you can sometimes resurrect the plant.

I would say it has been a dreadful summer for outdoor cucumbers.

Even if you grow them indoors in pots it is recommended that you build the soil up round the stem, and make a moat round the top of the pot for watering, to keep the water away from the stem.

You may be able to resurrect your plant by putting the stem above the rot in dry compost, putting the pot in a saucer and only watering it in the saucer. Failing that, you may not be too late to sow another seed.

Gardening is about the most inexact science you can get. You do your best, hope for the best and keep your fingers tightly crossed!!

Hope you can revive it.

valmarg

Welcome to the Vine Fruitylala. It's just been a dreadful summer for outdoor cucumbers. Sometimes, even with the best of conditions, cucumbers just die with no reason anybody can see. This year, I think it's just the weather. Mine are dying by inches. I'm hoping the weather will perk up, and so will the cucs.
I think you just have to shoulder on and see what happens. There's no quick fix. Sorry and good luck.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Thanks everyone,

I am still presuming this is down to excess rain. There doesn't seem to be any yellow spots on the leaves or any slug damage. I've built up the soil around the stem and WILL NOT water it near the stem - (thanks valmarg!). I guess now I can only wait & see. Am planting another couple of seeds today for backup plan B!!

Perhaps it's partly down to the type of cuc - the one that seems to be dying (I won't say dead just yet) is called white wonder. I have another little plant called crystal apple that seems ok so far.

Anyway, thanks again for all the advice.

Having said a couple of weeks ago that my (outdoor) crystal lemon's were doing fine... one's just keeled over! lol! I should learn to keep my mouth shut!

It just went yellow all over and drooped. I pulled it out this morning. Nothing obvious, just a rather limp yellow plant. Maybe the second one will keep going, who knows.

Indoors, however, my Ilas cukes are romping away. We can't eat nearly enough. The neighbours and relatives are getting a lot this year.

A word of warning - watch out when seed companies say things like "small" or "mini" when describing the fruit. This one (Ilas) was described as "mini" and it isn't. Yes, it's about half the length of a standard variety, but there are much smaller ones available. It's a great cropper, which is good, but I am slightly miffed as I was expecting real "mini's" as you get with "Rocky", for example.

Oh well, you grow and learn.

I've now lost all my cucumbers except one - Tyria, Zeina and Lemon. They just keel over and die, after looking quite healthy. The one thats left has lost its label (i've been very bad at that this year!), so I have no idea which it is!

It's so annoying, isn't it - the dying and the label losing!

I am not sure that it's anything to do with excess rain for me - it's not been too bad for us in South East London and I have very free draining soil/ compost.

Having said that, I've never had this happen before.

The last one died this morning

Last night it was looking fine, this morning it is just keeled over and limp. I wonder whether I might have overwatered it actually, trying to give it TLC but over did it!

You have to be cruel to be kind Jennie. Then again, you have to be cruel to be cruel too! Should have called myself Cruella DeVille instead of

Flum!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Updated November 17th - The Big Dig