Why the leaves on my cucumber plants turning white?

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Hi all!

I hope someone here can shed some light on a problem for me! Two weeks ago I tranferred six healthy cucumber plants from 4in pots into some larger containers. I watered them in well and, after a week of hardening them off, moved them into the greenhouse (unheated).

Now the new growth looks very healthy (and there's a lot of it!) but the lower leaves of the plant have slowly yellowed, starting at the edges, and then turned the entirely white! The leaves haven't lost any rigidity, they have literally just lost colour and feel 'crispy' to the touch. It's very odd.

I've been feeding them occasionally since moving them into the larger pots - could a deficiency to blame? Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks in advance!
Sweet Pea

[Alice]

Hello Sweet pea, the usual reason for leaves turning white is cold so maybe if it was very cold when you put them out that is the reason. Or is it just the seed leaves dying off as they do. Whatever, if the plants look healthy and are growing well I wouldn't worry.

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Hi Alice! Thank you for the reply. We have had some awful weather up here over the last month, so perhaps the drop in temperature is the problem then. I had hoped I had hardened them off enough, but I guess not. Oh well! The new growth does look very green and healthy and the weather is picking up, so fingers crossed the rest of the plants will be fine!

[dabbit]

I always thought that yellowing leaves were a sign of over watering?? I stand to be corrected of course. My own cucumber plants are doing OK but everything is growing slowly this year in my garden...(apart from the strawberries)

[SueA]

Sweet pea, if the rest of the plant looks healthy I'd just cut off the 'crispy' ones & leave it at that. The lower leaves of cucumbers, courgettes, toms. & various other plants often die off & it's usually nothing to worry about.

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone! This is the first year I've grown anything and I'm still learning what is 'normal' and what should be a cause for concern!

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Hmm... well, I nipped the 'dead' leaves off the cucumbers this morning and spent the rest of the day working. This evening I popped back into the greenhouse to water the tomato plant and to my joy, realised that one of the cucumbers had a little tiny cucumber fruit near the bottom of the plant! I couldn't believe it and I shouted for my partner to come down and see Poor lad dashed down the garden, burst into the greenhouse and peered at the little plant, only to say witheringly - 'isn't that the remainder of the stem where you cut that leaf off this morning?'. And he was right. How embarassing

[Jaxom]

SP, I'm on cucumber watch as well this year. It's the first year I have ever grown most vegetables. I sowed 4 cucumber seeds and two grew. I gave one away to friends who have theirs growing in a clapped out greenhouse with little ventilation or blinds to protect plants. Theirs is going great guns and mine looks like a sick relation. I read the books and pampered mine. The greenhouse is new and has all the whistles and bells, automatic vents etc. I just could not work out why my cucumber plant was doing so badly? Now I know why. My greenhouse vents out all the hot day time air but did not have enough heat at night to keep the cucumber happy at 20 degrees.
My friend’s cucumber never went below 25 degrees at night due to his lack of ventilation.
I will have to watch how things go now that nighttime temperatures are getting higher.

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Ah, well, my greenhouse is old and clapped out too and I don't have blinds. The only ventilation I have is a little window that (occasionally) can be forced open. I suppose it does still come down to the night-time temperature though - I'm in Sheffield and over the last month it's been a combination of heavy rain and chilly evenings, so perhaps no wonder my cucumber plants suffered.

In comparison to the cucumbers, my tomato plants look fab but I remember reading that the two plants like very different conditions and if you can one to grow successfully then the other might do less well.

[Sweet_Pea_Pod]

Just an update for this for anyone who found themselves in the same position as me a few weeks ago! Since the warmer evenings kicked in, my cucumber plants have looked very healthy - the new growth is plentiful and completely green. It must have been the cold. I even have a few female flowers too! Phew!

[Alice]

Good news Sweet Pea. Yes, May was an apology for a month, all that rain and cold too. I think everybody is seeing a difference now that June has kicked in with some real sun shine and soaring temperatures. In fact a bit too hot. What are we gardeners like! It's too hot ! Too cold ! Too wet ! Too dry ! Is there any such thing as pefect gardening weather ??

[peterbw]

Pumpkin and Squash Leaves Turning White

Hi - I know this is quite an old post but I was looking through as I have had the same problem. It has been particularly cold lately as you will all know especially at night so reading this post leads me to think that this is the reason my pumpkin and squash leaves are turning white starting at the edges. Someone told me that this could also be an iron deficiency. Is this a possibility? I bought the plant from a very reputable garden centre and have planted them in half barrels (I don't have a lot of room left for such large plants). I mixed half a bag of farmyard manure with the soil in each of the half-barrels before planting them. I would be very grateful for any advice anyone could give me.
Thank you in anticipation.

Peter