Cucumber Problem

[steveibh]

Hi everyone,

Joined up to ask for some help for a novice gardener.

We decided to plant some cucumbers and tomato plants this year in our greenhouse, which has gone ok so far. (All a learning curve )

We didn't realise at first we had to nip the tomato plants so its a bit like a jungle in there and some very small fruit.

The problem i wanted some help with was with our Cucumber plant.
At first we had flowers everywhere and some veg started growing about 6 inches off the floor. (The bottom one went seemed to just die off), but now the rest of the cucumbers seem to have gone yellow and shriveled up. We have maybe 3 about knee height that are about 7 inches long (they also seemed to have stopped growing)

Why have all the other flowers died ?

I did try and read up on the matter and saw some people mention pollination problems ?
Could i have planted out tomato plants too near and they are taking all the goodness ?
Because our tomato plants are quite large, are they blocking all the light ?

[veggiechicken]

Hi Steve and welcome.
Do you know what variety of cucumber it is?
Most cucumbers have male and female flowers - the males are there to fertilise the females so will drop off once their job is done. Some cucumbers are "All female" and this is not a problem.
You need to keep picking the cucumbers as, if left, they will turn yellow as they ripen and produce seed. In nature, the plant wants to produce seed to keep itself going, by picking off the young cucumbers, it has to keep on producing more.

[steveibh]

Many thanks for your swift reply.

If i am honest, no i have no idea. We got the plant from my father in law in grew them from seeds for us. My wife is adamant that he said it had male and female flowers.

So if i cut the cucumbers that are on the plant, will it promote further growing higher up ?

[veggiechicken]

If they're yellow, cut them off. Are there flowers further up?
Tiny little yellow cucumbers, just behind the flowers, about the size of a little finger nail, will not mature - - tiny little green cukes are the ones to keep . Also, a cucumber (like many other fruiting plants), will only carry enough fruits to make seed for the next generation - it will abort the rest. Keep picking them when they are a usable size and the plant will keep producing more. Same with courgettes, beans, tomatoes etc.

[steveibh]

thanks

pretty much everything above the growing cucumbers are tiny yellow shriveled cucumbers behind the flower.

Ill give it a go and see

And a big hello from South Wales aswel

[skeggijon]

cut the yellow ones off and make sure its well watered. I wouldn't worry about the tomato plants being so close.

[teakdesk]

Welcome Steveibh!

Many home grown cucumber varieties are only meant to grow to about 6 inches long. Picking at that length helps more to grow.

Cucumbers need a lot of water but do not want their compost to be water-logged or cold. Try leaving a watering can of water in the greenhouse to warm up overnight for use in the morning but do not over-water!

Also, they will need regular feeding. I use liquid tomato feed but there are plenty of other methods.

[veggiechicken]

thanks

pretty much everything above the growing cucumbers are tiny yellow shriveled cucumbers behind the flower.

Ill give it a go and see

And a big hello from South Wales aswel

Croeso Steve - I'm in Ferryside at the moment - just along the coast a bit

[steveibh]

Ah nice. My folks are in Llansaint

[veggiechicken]

I'll give them a wave

[Bill HH]

I would cut a lot of leaves off the tomatoes too, let more light in. They don't need half of the leaves they have.

[teakdesk]

I would cut a lot of leaves off the tomatoes too, let more light in. They don't need half of the leaves they have.

Guess what I've just been doing?

Yup... removing lower leaves and thinning other leaves and removing some top growth from my tomato plants since if I don't I get botrytis (there was a little starting on a damaged leaf which spurred me into action!).