My cucumbers have wilted

kimmee

foxgloves wrote: »

If they are still alive but just looking sorry for themselves, try giving them some seaweed solution. We use Maxicrop. It's around five quid a bottle but you use it very dilute & it lasts for ages. It can be very good at helping wilty plants through difficult times like when they haven't taken well to being transplanted. I once grew some french beans that got so damaged by gales then slugs, that I actually had to sellotape some of the stems. I tried them on seaweed solution & couldn't believe it when they rallied & we still got a good crop!

Thanks for that foxgloves - I've never heard of that but will try and find somewhere that sells it at the weekend

Sazbo

Oh dear... this seems to have happened to one of my cukes. I went into the garden last night after getting home from work and one of them was looking distinctly poorly - very wilted

I suspect it's root disturbance... Purely down to wedding preparations and then being away on honeymoon, I delayed pricking them out until we got back (about 2 weeks ago). By which time they were getting fairly well established. We only planted two cukes, because we dont have a lot of growing space, and for a while both looked completely fine after planting out. So now I'm likely down to one... On the assumption that it's too late now to be starting new ones off inside, I stuck a couple of new seeds into the pot last night - don't expect they'll grow, but it's a lesson for next year, I guess!

Saz

peter_the_piper

Root disturbance could easily be the problem.
I'm trying to get info, did anyone !!!!! their cues out into a compost which says it has a water retaining gel in it?

Sazbo

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Root disturbance could easily be the problem.
I'm trying to get info, did anyone !!!!! their cues out into a compost which says it has a water retaining gel in it?

Well it's funny you should say that, ptp, because in fact I did add some water retaining crystals to the compost before pricking them out. I was planting them into containers and thought this would be beneficial? But do you think this might be the culprit? Compost too damp perhaps?

The annoying thing is I grew them last year for the first time - and as a total newbie to veg growing, didn't really know what I was doing. Started them off inside, then just stuck them into grow bags - and never had a single problem with them, had lovely cucumbers well into late September... hmmm

Saz

peter_the_piper

I have got a suspicion that the gel does get them too wet. i have just sown another 75 into compost without it but as the temps are much higher now its not a real test. Previously the 1st batches were in compost with cel coat which covers the roots with a layer to keep the water in. Will have to see next year what happens if I can't find anything out.

kimmee

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Root disturbance could easily be the problem.
I'm trying to get info, did anyone !!!!! their cues out into a compost which says it has a water retaining gel in it?

I pricked my cucs out into ordinary MP compost, not water retaining stuff and grew them on in individual pots indoors. I then hardened them off and re-planted outside again into ordinary MP compost so it could be a combination of root disturbance plus being too wet when I re-planted them the other day.

One seems to be fine, the other really seems to be losing the will.....

peter_the_piper

kimmee wrote: »

I pricked my cucs out into ordinary MP compost, not water retaining stuff and grew them on in individual pots indoors. I then hardened them off and re-planted outside again into ordinary MP compost so it could be a combination of root disturbance plus being too wet when I re-planted them the other day.

One seems to be fine, the other really seems to be losing the will.....

Shame, I thought I'd cracked the mystery. Maybe this year is just a bad year for cues.

cooking-mama

my remaining indoor cucumber plant has produced 4 lovely flowers overnight...But i think only 1 of them is a female flower...do i have to pollinate with a brush or do i remove the male flowers..or do i do nothing???....im also worried about repotting this one,as the last one died within hours(no water retaining gel etc in the MP compost)

aliasojo

Mine have just wilted too. I'm a total beginner though so anything I did could have been what did them in.

Sazbo

aliasojo wrote: »

Mine have just wilted too. I'm a total beginner though so anything I did could have been what did them in.

yeah, it's most definitely you alias :D

xxxx