cuke babies wilting and falling off

[SuperChemicalGirl]

I don't know what the problem is! I have planted cukes the last 2 years. I didn't get any last year (too much rain, too much groundhog). I was hoping to do better this year. The vines arn't really taking off - they're pretty feeble. However I do have some small female flowers on them. About 24 hours after the flower closes they turn yellow, start to pucker and fall off. What's going on?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there &

If, as you say, you only have female flowers, your female flowers are falling off because they have not been fertilized. You will have to wait until the plant produces them. There are a few varieties of cucurbits that are self-fertilizing (they only have female flowers -- I have only found certain cucumbers & zucchini like this in the UK but you maybe have more over there in the US.....?

What did your seed packet or supplier of starter plants say? If you saved your own seeds from last year did you save from an F1 variety, because this might explain the weak plant etc. If your answers are negative to my questions get yourself some Epson Salts & dissolve 2 tablespoons in every gallon of water ; water deeply with this dose for a few days & the plant should look a lot healthier. It is my standard 1st try for ailing, backward plants & it is very cheap.......

Hope this helps....... Good Luck !!


:tools Hattie :tools

 

[the lemon tree]

The cucumber that I'm trying this year is 'Cool Breeze', one that supposedly self-fertilizes. I have yet to harvest a full grown cucumber though. All of them die off as little tiny babies.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

They have male flowers too. Sorry I didn't make that clear. Everything else in the garden is getting fertilized... not sure what makes the cukes different. And I've been watering with dilute epsom once weekly.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Try taking off the next male flower & poking it into the female flowers : it has always worked when I tried this method on my cucurbits. I think your little insect polinators have short-sight.....!!!!! There is a recent post on here about the method if you need it.

Sometimes the plants are just not quite strong enough & drop their flowes for a while; that usually changes pretty fast.

Hope it sorts itself out soon........


:tools Hattie :tools

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

Hattie, you were right. For some reason my cuke plants must not be getting fertilized, when everything else under the sun in there is. I started fertilizing them by hand and look what I finally got today:

MY FIRST EVER CUKES!

 

[bills]

My english cukes were the same way. You had to hand polinate the female flowers. I used a small paint brush to take from the male and give to the female..If I missed a female flower, a tiny little 1" long cuke would be produced then shrivel away.

I don't grow those anymore needless to say..I have enough work without having to play God too.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

Well I seriously hope the pollinators step it up because I have stopped pollinating after I noticed growth. I have no idea what type of cukes these are. I guess I'll have to inspect tomorrow to see if the new growth that I haven't pollinated is shriveling and dying. That would seriously stink if I had to add daily vegetable fertility rites to my chore list.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Well I seriously hope the pollinators step it up because I have stopped pollinating after I noticed growth. I have no idea what type of cukes these are. I guess I'll have to inspect tomorrow to see if the new growth that I haven't pollinated is shriveling and dying. That would seriously stink if I had to add daily vegetable fertility rites to my chore list.

My sympathies.....I am having the same problem here in England this year...we are having the weirdest weather, endless days of cloudy skies & no proper rain but it is warm & humid (just about everything you don't need). All this after last winter which was the worst in over 20 years. I am still hand pollinating & the plants are very slow in producing although I am watering deeply. At least I have so far kept the powdery mildew at bay.........!!!


Hattie

 

[bills]

I have no idea what type of cukes these are. .

They do look like a smooth thin skin variety, similar to the English hothouse cuke, although they are shorter, and somewhat thicker. Might well be a hybrid with some English genes.

How is it you don't know the variety, do you buy them as nursery seedlings that are not labeled?

They look pretty darn healthy, how do they taste?