problem with beetroot, help please

[kerryp]

Hi,

Myself & boyfriend are first time growers of anything & thought we were doing quite well with our raised bed BUT our beetroot seem to be having a problem all of a sudden... their leaves are getting yellowy soggy bits on their leaves... does anyone know what this could be? Ill try & add a pic to help.

Oh & does anyone know whats wrong with their garden buddies the marketmore cucumber? they seem to be going funny as well & have stopped growing height wise.... pic added as well....

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Kerry

[kerryp]

pic of cucumber not growing....

[Maximillian]

are they over/underwatered? maybe they need a small feed, although not ideal before they flower as they get too much leaf and don't fruit. sometimes i find they just need a change/top up of compost. i scrape away a little of the old compost - not too much if they are planted where they'll grow so you don't disturb any roots, but then add some fresh compost and gently mix in and things seem to perk up a bit.

[sewer rat]

Beetroot - looks as if it may have been overwatered but damage is not too serious as I can see healthy fresh growth emerging.
Cucumber - shouldn't really need a feed if it's in a growbag and has been there for less than six weeks. Similarly should be okay for trace elements.
As Maximillian says, feeding can lead to too much green growth - however, I plant my cukes in 6" of well matured FYM and they get a real growth boost which doesn't seem to stop them producing like crazy - maybe try some chicken manure pellets (I've used 6X pellets in the past with good results) just to give it a boost. Again, do not water too much until the plant is well established - young plants are easily waterlogged or drowned. If all that fails, tough - some cuke plants are just poor performers - I have loads and have three out of 70 odd that are a mile behind the others - but they will come at it eventually.

[Two_Sheds]

The soil looks extremely wet ... you're drowning them

[kerryp]

you know i had a feeling it could be that as i have a tendancy to overwater ive found out! ( i ruined all my dwarf runner beans & majority of peas by overwatering) will try & hold back a bit......hehehe

[Two_Sheds]

plants don't need as much water as you might think.
The soil shouldn't be waterlogged ... just dampish under the surface. It's not a bad thing for the surface to actually be dry, as it will trap moisture underneath it (like a mulch). Poke a finger down if you're unsure. You'll soon get the hang of it.