Cucumber troubles this year

[b54red]

For the first time in many years I am having a hard time getting my cucumbers to grow. I set out some young seedlings in early March and they all died within two weeks. I talked to a friend and he had the same experience. They just sat there after being planted and became yellower by the day and finally died. When I pulled them up they had virtually no roots. I have a second set of cucumbers in cups waiting for them to get large enough to plant out. I am using the same potting mix as I used on squash, tomatoes, peppers, and basil and everything else did great.

I used 3 different varieties both times I seeded, Poona Keera, Diva and Sweet Success. Maybe it has been the unsettling weather and the high winds; but I have never seen cucumbers so reluctant to grow. Usually when I set them out they are several feet tall before I can blink. I tried giving them a dose of Miracle Grow and it didn't seem to do them much good. Is anyone else experiencing this?

[fortyonenorth]

I had the same problem on a new bed last year. A soil test after the season showed extremely low phosphorus. Any chance that's your situation? Phosphorus is very immobile in the soil - meaning it doesn't leach through and come in contact with the roots. The roots have to "find" the phosphorus. If you have compaction or other issues which limit root movement they simply can't get to the phosphorus. This results in stunted growth.

[z_willus_d]

Having similar growth issues, but I think I can blame the hail pummeling mine saw recently followed-up by heavy sunshine (w/out sufficient hardening-off). Now who said a hailstorm was insufficient for hardening off a young seedling?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

I had the same problem on a new bed last year. A soil test after the season showed extremely low phosphorus. Any chance that's your situation? Phosphorus is very immobile in the soil - meaning it doesn't leach through and come in contact with the roots. The roots have to "find" the phosphorus. If you have compaction or other issues which limit root movement they simply can't get to the phosphorus. This results in stunted growth.

I know it is not insufficient phosphorus. My soil tested too high in phosphorus. I was advised not to add any for the next 20 or more years. I have added a lot of manures over the last 30 years resulting in the high phosphorus content. I am beginning to think it is the weather since the squash set out on the same day in 2 different beds is doing fine.

z_willus_d , I'm also sure they were hardened off. The seedlings had been outside for 2 full weeks in full sun.

[Tracydr]

Last year, my Armenians contracted a virus but I think it's only common I AZ, CA an TX. They turned pale, barely produced anything all summer. Some sort of Cucurbit Virus called Cucurbit yellow stunting virus, I believe.

[Tracydr]

Here's a link:
http://www.azda.gov/main/cucurbit.pdf

[tjg911]

cool or cold soil?

curcurbits want their roots warm.

also they don't like their roots messed with, when transplanting did you get them out of the container with a minimum amount of root disturbance?

tom

[livinonfaith]

I've always heard that melon, squash, and cucumber seeds do better if they are just sowed directly in the ground once the soil is nice and warm. Don't know if that has anything to do with anything in your case, but maybe you could try a direct sowing to see.

Only other thing I can think of is, did you harden the plants off? I lost several things in my first years because I would bring them home from the nursery, stick them in a dim utility room for a week and then plant them out under the hot sun without hardening them off.

[b54red]

Tom, I have been transplanting all of my cucumbers for over 10 years and am very careful not to disturb the roots. Even the leftover plants still in the cups got the same condition so it is either a virus or the rapidly changing weather we have had the last few weeks. The soil was plenty warm but the air temps changed dramatically several times in a short period.

[tjg911]

sounds like you know what you're doing having done it for 10 years. sorry i have no other ideas, i tossed out the most likely. maybe you can you check with county ag folks to see what's going on re diseases?

tom

[linuxman51]

Mine haven't died off, but they sure aren't raping and pillaging the landscape like the ones I grew last year.. leaves are all fairly small (look almost like the cantaloupe plants nearby), this time last year mine had leaves the size of dinner plates. Right now I'd be surprised if they're as big as a saucer.

but they haven't died either, so I dunno. they just dont look like they're thriving. the squash is killing it, a couple pepper plants are waay ahead of schedule. I dunno.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by linuxman51

Mine haven't died off, but they sure aren't raping and pillaging the landscape like the ones I grew last year.. leaves are all fairly small (look almost like the cantaloupe plants nearby), this time last year mine had leaves the size of dinner plates. Right now I'd be surprised if they're as big as a saucer.

but they haven't died either, so I dunno. they just dont look like they're thriving. the squash is killing it, a couple pepper plants are waay ahead of schedule. I dunno.

Well my second planting has now been in the ground for a week and they are growing like normal. I still have one from my original planting that is still alive and it is still growing slow with smaller than normal leaves. This is a really weird year because squash and cucumbers usually do good at the same time but not this year. My squash are doing great.

If you haven't tried it you might want to try Butter Stick hybrid from Burpee next year. It makes a large yellow zucchini like squash that tastes very much like a summer crookneck but is far more productive. The bush plants get huge but it only takes one squash to feed two people. I have totally quit growing crooknecks or straitnecks since finding this variety many years ago. It only takes a couple of plants for the wife and I and we end up giving away most of them because we can't keep up with them. I space the plants 6 feet apart and mulch them heavily and in a few weeks they will fill in the gaps between the plants if you can keep the borers away.

[Annie]

I need help with my cucumbers, they were planted first part of March, have grown great, have loads of blossoms and they are running everywhere. There are little cucumbers at the end of the blossoms. They were growing great but now they are turning yellow and dropping off. I have gotten about three nice ones. You know they grow cucumbers so fast that you go out one morning and have a bunch of them. Now they seem to just stay where they are and are not getting any larger. What is my problem? Now my next problem, I finally started getting yellow straight squash but the leaves have gotten white dots all over them that looks like a fungus. I have sprayed with an anti fungus with no success. I finally cut all the leaves off with the white spots, am getting new growth but noticed a few little white spot on some of the new leaves. It looks like spores. Any suggestions. Anne

[Tracydr]

Annie, your cukes sound like my Armenians, last year. They got yellow and just failed to set fruit.
Check out that link about the virus I posted.

[linuxman51]

Originally Posted by b54red

Well my second planting has now been in the ground for a week and they are growing like normal. I still have one from my original planting that is still alive and it is still growing slow with smaller than normal leaves. This is a really weird year because squash and cucumbers usually do good at the same time but not this year. My squash are doing great.

If you haven't tried it you might want to try Butter Stick hybrid from Burpee next year. It makes a large yellow zucchini like squash that tastes very much like a summer crookneck but is far more productive. The bush plants get huge but it only takes one squash to feed two people. I have totally quit growing crooknecks or straitnecks since finding this variety many years ago. It only takes a couple of plants for the wife and I and we end up giving away most of them because we can't keep up with them. I space the plants 6 feet apart and mulch them heavily and in a few weeks they will fill in the gaps between the plants if you can keep the borers away.

oo that sounds good, I'll have to track that down. I may toss a couple cuke seeds directly in the garden and see what happens, can't hurt, right?