Cucumber plants mysteriously dying

bizzylizzy

I have grown cucumbers from seed in the greenhouse, got them to a good size and planted them out in the garden. They have been doing well but this last week a couple have just wilted slowly and died, and it looks as though another is on it's way out too
It's not slugs, or birds (that I can see, although we do have hooligan sparrows here). I am wondering if it is the weather as it has turned colder, and been very windy and raining on and off.
Has anyone else had this problem?

kandyfloss

We had exactly the same problem as you last year although we bought ours from a garden centre as we only wanted two of them.

They were hardened off and my hubby put them into the middle of a mound of earth at our allotments with a moat round the outside for watering purposes and both of them gave up the ghost and died.I read somewhere they don't like water on their leaves or on the stems of the actual plant.

Because ours just withered away I haven't bothered with them this year and have gone for Cougettes instead, although having said that other people on here might have grown them last year and had a good crop.

I think to have any success the conditions have to be just right for them plus they do need hardening off properly if grown in the greenhouse and not planted out until all risk of frost has gone which for us in the Midlands is the early part of June.

Good Luck with your plants...

Lotus-eater

Cucumbers don't like wet cold conditions, although the start of May was great weather, the last week hasn't been. I would say it was too early to put them out, Put some sort of cloche over any remaining ones.

SEE

bizzylizzy wrote: »

I have grown cucumbers from seed in the greenhouse, got them to a good size and planted them out in the garden. They have been doing well but this last week a couple have just wilted slowly and died, and it looks as though another is on it's way out too
It's not slugs, or birds (that I can see, although we do have hooligan sparrows here). I am wondering if it is the weather as it has turned colder, and been very windy and raining on and off.
Has anyone else had this problem?

Try again and grow them up canes or trellis.

annie123

Q's shouldn't go out before beginning of June for most areas, and I put a bit of grit/gravel around the stem going down about 2" and plant the on top of a small mound.
Plant a piece of cane/old hose etc with it so that when you water you use that, so the roots get wet but not the plant, if that makes sense!