look after cucumbers

[brynley]

i want to find out the best way to look after cucumbers my plants failed this year would like to know best way

[Germinater]

You need to keep them warm and a little humide.that's what iv found has worked with mine .I keep it in the greenhouse and only open the door when it's clear and warm ..also only water every few days and give it a good drenching .but I'm sure others will be along with much more accurate info..

[rustylady]

Hi Brynley, guide to growing cucumbers here BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Growing cucumbers
By the way, welcome to the Vine. Could you add your location to your profile please? That way it will show up on your posts, and helps when giving advice.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks for that RL, I'll use it too! Wonder if Brynley is from Burnley?

[reetnproper]

Hi Brynley,

I tend to have my cucumbers by the door of the greenhouse and the toms at the back. I cut a growbag in half, up end it and place it in a bucket or large tub. I then plant one good sized cucumber plant to each half bag and train it to grow up canes. I water as necessary and feed when fruiting and have had good success growing them this way. Probably not exactly the recommended way to grow them but it works for me

Reet
x

P.S. The door and window of the greenhouse are always slightly ajar during the day at this time of year and it doesn't seem to harm the cucumbers at all.

[Creemteez]

Hi Brynley,
When potting your young plants into their final pots/bags, make sure you don't bury them too deeply as this encourages neck rot.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Cumbers are suicidal (someone else's terminology but so true) so always plant more seed than your going to need. Send for some free seed catalogues and have a read at the different varieties and pick one you think will suit your needs.

Follow the instructions for germination temperature and don't plant to early, when germinated water sparingly from the bottom using a saucer.

Unlike CTs I like to plant deep as I pot on, cumbers are a vine and will throw extra roots just like a tomato, dont over water at this stage.

When in their final pots I like to feed with a high nitrogen feed such as miracle grow, again keep the compost just on the dry side of moist. As the fruit sets I change to a high potash feed such as tomorite and up the watering rate a little at a time until the plant is in full production when its water everyday.

Hope this helps Colin

[Geordie]

feed cucumbers with a high nitrogen feed if you can such as Chempak No2 (i think its number 2!) rather than tomato feed as this is biased toward potash. if you find you get some little cucumbers on the plant which then turn yellow / brown and die it could be lack of nitrogen that does it.

[CaroltheCarrot]

I hate cucumbers, have grown them for years and they have been rampant, this year I have nurtured them ,fed them well, and what have they done,gave me a great big two fingers and died! next year they will be ignored as usual

[Chitfaced]

I find all this very useful. So far 2 out of my four plants have died, i think from over watering. They just went limp and died. I have moved one back into the conservatory to 'dry it out a bit' and it's looking OK. I think if cucumbers could talk they'd be right whingers.

[cadbury]

I.v had a couple of my plants die to, and the ones that are left I get loads of flowers an the start of the fruit but then they jus die off. Think I've had all of 2 cucumbers so far. Not good. Any advice would be welcome
Cadbury

[Davyburns]

I have a Wautoma that was quite prolific, and stood in the far corner of the GH. I went in one morning, and the top half was dead. The bottom half is still verdant green, but no cues.

[Gemmalaveen]

I am growing an outdoor cucumber for the first time this year... only one plant (the lady at my local garden centre persuaded me to buy...) So far I have harvested one cucumber but by the looks of things there are many more to come. The first one was delicious, tasted just like a greenhouse variety. I am planning to grow at least 3 or 4 next year!

[cptncrackoff]

After overwatering, and killing my biggest this year...I have abused the others.
They only get watered when they start to look a bit limp, feeding once a week, with tomato feed.
They're doing very well now, the leaves are a bit mottled, yellowish brownins but the fruits are fine, meant to be 6-8 inches but ive had them over 11"!!

[Royster1]

Hi, I have 8 cucumber plants in total all have grown quite well in fact I have 2 with flowers/fruit on them when they were only 6" tall
I wonder can anyone tell me why one plant has no flowers
I treat them all the same as I did last year
I have a saucer under the pot holding the plant in my green house and always make sure there is water in the saucer so the plant can take what it needs