Sick cucumber

[krazy_krok]

Hi all,

Was looking for some advice on my poorly cucumber. It's a Carman F1 thats about £8 for 5 seeds so desperatly want to save it. As you can see from the pics the leaves look very saggy and dead but there are still 2 strong healthy leaves. Its potted in a 30cm pot with polystirene in the bottom and in miracle grow compost with some vermiculite mixed in. Any thoughts?



Cheers,
KK

[Alison]

Where is it? It looks like one of mine did when I tried it in the cold greenhouse a bit early. They don't like the cold or wet so maybe give it a bit more warmth (if applicable) and don't let the compost get too wet. If your compost is water logged then it'll rot, you can help dry it out by putting some dry on top but obviously it's best not to get it soggy to start with. For future ref, it looks like the pot is a bit big for it yet, mine are in 5" pots at the moment and will be potted on to ones about your size when they've filled the ones they're in.

[pdblake]

Looks a bit wilted to me. Too hot? Too dry?

Crikey, £1.60 a seed

Hope you get some nice cucumbers off it.

[Paulottie]

Looks like its been in soggy compost. (or its been too dry then overwatered to compensate.) They are pretty susceptible to rot and scarid fly especially at the neck. Apart from anything else you should pot on to a smaller pot next time. the compost will only go sour and a likkle plant can't use that much water quickly enough. Never water from the top and sparingly anyway till they start to fruit.

An old trick for cuckes and melons is to cut the bottom out the pot and plant that pot 1/2 way into the next pot or border, you then never water in the original pot (just around it or from bottom) so the neck stays really dry.

You may save it, You could try moving it to a smaller terracotta pot (and inspect the roots) and giving it a boost with a foliar liquid feed like maxicrop.

[SarzWix]

Agree with Alison And Paul - I think it's too small a plant been put into too big a pot. Cucs should really be allowed to fill the pot with roots before being put into the next size up, until they've filled a 5" pot with roots. Then they may be big enough to cope with their final placing. They also look like they're outside? Which won't help as it means all that excess compost they're sitting in will be cold too...

[krazy_krok]

It's been in a cold greenhouse and being new to growing i think i may have been a little eager with the watering. Will repot and water less
Thanx all,
KK