Cucumber Failing

Nozebleed · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:02 pm Post subject: Cucumber Failing

Guy's my cucumbers just aren't growing at all. i've harvested just one cucumber so far. the plants (4x) are very healthy looking and about 5ft tall and spreading out..full of flowers..but the fruits are just withering away. what am i doing wrong? i've read the problem is down to bad drainage. but i dont know. Im tempted to dig them up!! Should i just leave them? maybe dig the fork in around the roots to aid drainage?? Rolling Eyes

I have 4 plants planted close together just 12" between plants would that be the issue?

forest flame · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:06 pm Post subject:

hi nosebleed
the plants look great dont know why the fruits are not coming for you.i would be interested in finding out as i have a cucumber plant and am waiting patiently for flowers
ff

Nozebleed · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:33 pm Post subject:

ok i stuck the fork into the soil around each of the plants in a bid to aerate the soil and maybe improve drainage..the plants are in a corner of the greenhouse where rain water will natural from the roof and pour to the ground..maybe this is the problem...soil inside the greenhouse doesn't look wet..it is moist but not wet. so im thinking i might need another water butt.

Seedling · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 9:42 am Post subject:

Hi Nozebleed

I have cucumbers growing outdoors and have harvested a couple. However, during the very wet weather that we have had, a couple of the cucumbers seemed to rot from the tip upwards that I attributed to the saturated soil.

One of my cucumbers has a mass of flowers, very tight to the stem of the plant that appear to be doing nothing whereas the other 2 have only a few of flowers but these all have fruits behind them? I don't understand this? Can anyone help?

ian · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:02 am Post subject:

HI Noze
that plant looks very healthy, have you let the insects in to fertilise the flowers ?
If not then go over them with a dry clean paint brush get the pollen deep inside those flowers.
Regards, Ian.

Nozebleed · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:13 am Post subject:

yeah i started using a small paint brush to pollinate the flowers..but i asked the horticultural dept in newlands garden centre and they said the fruit should still swell..even if they're not pollinated.

James Kilkelly · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 12:19 pm Post subject:

tunnelsofhens10 · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject:

Have to agree with James on watering, overwatering especially can cause fruits to rot. Don"t know what type of cucumber plants the other folk have but I always plant 2 plants of all female type flowers in a growbag and by the end of season I and my neighbours are all cucunbered out.

Nozebleed · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:52 pm Post subject:

thanks for the replies..i'm going to leave them without watering for a week or three. hopefully they recover..