grey mould on cucumber stem - what / how?

[nmayhew]

Hi,

My cucumbers are playing their own little Agatha Christie murder mystery drama out in front of my eyes...and then there were four...:eek

i noticed a fine grey mould on the stem of one plant this morning, about an inch in length (all round the stem), about half an inch or so from the base.

what is it, and what have i done wrong?

to be honest, everything else i plant grows fine, and i plant all my garden's flowers from seed, and they grow fine too, so i am getting a bit effed off with cukes!

why are they so temperamental?!

and how people manage to grow the things outside is simply beyond me! (mine are in the greenhouse).

advice and soothing words most welcome!

cheers,

Nick

[bramble]

Cucs hate their stems to be wet. When I plant mine I always make a little mound of soil in the pot, plant the seeds upright (on their side) along the sides of the pot.
When you water them try not to get the stems wet.
Hope this is helpful and you understand my description

[Capsid]

Yep, it's stem rot. I lost all mine last year but this time I seem to have got the watering right.

[Two_Sheds]

As the others have said ...

Water from the bottom, not onto the plant. It's the roots that want water, not the foliage.
Stand your pots into saucers and water into the saucers

[nmayhew]

thanks guys for your constructive comments

i hadn't thought about the saucer option (queue loud Homer Simpson "DOH")

we'll see if any survive!