Cucumber trouble

[Lulubelle]

I had four cucumber plants growing well outside...until today. Two of them have wilted and the stem has rotted. I scraped away the soil and found little white maggots coming out of the stem. One of the others looks ok but on closer inspection, also has the maggots inside. Does anyone know what they are and if it could be saved? Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Lulubelle,

Any chance of a piccy.

Colin

[Creemteez]

Cukes can be affected by neck rot as can courgettes and squashes. It could be that the maggots you've found are a symptom rather than the cause of your problem. If they were planted too deep when potting on, this can cause it, and if it is the case, I'm afraid they are unlikely to survive. Sorry...

[Lulubelle]

Sorry the pictures aren't very clear, I only have a small camera. When I pulled the cucumber up, there were four little maggots inside (a bit like the ones you find in blackberries but slightly bigger) and some in the soil. I have squirted the maggots on the plant that is still alive with a bug gun for vegetables but I don't think it has had any effect on them.

Any ideas?

Lulu

[Lulubelle]

Thanks Creemteez, our posts must have crossed whilst I was fiddling with the pictures. Oh well, I'll have to put it down to experience, I was looking forward to the cucumbers they were good last year!

Lulu

[Creemteez]

Yup, neck rot! What a bummer! It's not too late, Lulubelle. Get yourself to a garden centre - they may have some left.

[Potstubsdustbins]

From your pics it could be one of several different things, classic stem rot caused by over watering where the maggots have got in afterwards is a very good bet.

The roots also look a little funny it may be something in the soil like eel worm to be sure grow them in a different place next year.

Colin

[Germinater]

There is still time to get some plugs in the ground and enjoy your own cucks again this year..

[Lulubelle]

Thanks for your replies, maybe it's all the rain we have had lately. I'll be off to the garden centre tomorrow.

Lulu

[coreopsis]

Cukes are tricky,they require right amount of water,not too much(stem rotting) and not too little(not enough)

[Geordie]

I use lengths of drainpipes pushed vertically into the soil....or even a submerged plantpot would suffice to water the plant, keeps water off the surface and sends it to root area.

[Lotsaveg]

Sounds like sciarid fly larvae to me. Did the maggots have black shiny heads?.... Nope.. I've just seen the pictures and the maggots are too big for sciarids.

In fact, they look about the size of vine weevil larvae!