Pathetic cucumbers

[sweetcorn]

As we moved this year, I was given a cucumber plant. The giver's cucumbers are growing with a vengence, but mine, well. I have one that's about 10 cm long and about as thick as a novelty pencil. It has been like that now for about 4 weeks, perfectly green and happy in it's weediness. Two more are developing now, and they too look similarly stringy. They are in a greenhouse, I have watered them carefully and fed them regularly. They have suffered with red spider mite, but so far it's just about under control. I have successfully grown cuces before, but don't know what to do with this one! It's in a large terracotta pot.

HELP!

[TPeers]

Could the terracotta be getting hot? Try shading the pot to keep the roots cool.

My cucs are c**p this year as well, and the toms are succumbing to the dreaded blight!

I've got about 3 corn cobs, the cabbage are lace from slugs - nothing left for the butterflies to damage! the beetroot have failed to bulk their roots and the carrots have been slugged for the fourth or fifth time - terrible year! Even the beans are poor.

I'm so tempted to clear all the beds and give up till it's time to plant up the overwintering crops in late September, early October.

[Spuds up]

I have got nowhere with cucumbers this year.

As a novice last year I tried cucs for the first time and was amazed as they kept growing. I have planted them in the same way this year.

They have been flowering and then nothing! Not one cuc has started form. I put it down to all the rain, but I have faired no better since the weather improved.

[Flummery]

I've only had one (outdoor) cuke but the plants are now invigorated with a bit of sunshine and are flowering and setting babies - here's hoping the forecast gales on Tuesday don't blow them out of the ground! Weather! Who'd have it?

[JennieAtkinson]

I went for a small cucumber this year and its made lots of little cucumbers, but sadly the gherkins in the jar at the fish and chip shop look in better shape. I fed, watered carefully, nurtered the little darlings, but obviously to no avail.

[Alice]

It's just been a rubbish year for cucumbers. My cucumber lemons died by inches and al I got was 4 lovely little cucumbers. The Marketmore are still hanging on and doing a few cucumbers but pretty poor really. Oh well just have to hope for a better summer next and better results. Interestly the squash are doing fine. Very vigorous and plenty of fruits so that will make up for it.

[Alison]

My indoor cucumbers are doing really well (sorry to sound like I'm gloating), must take a piccie for the show thingy. Don't know why but the Petita in particular are almost growing as I'm watching. Have been giving them away at work. I did have early problems getting them going and gave up on my original sowing. The ones I'm currently harvesting were planted late but have only been about a week or so later to start harvesting than last year. I also have a little bush cucumber in a tub on the patio which now has a few weedy little fruits but like Flum's, seems to have been invigorated by the good weather this last week or so.

[sewer rat]

Alison might be aplogetic about gloating but I'm not
My cukes have been brill this year. Planted 40, still have 39 producing vast quantities of large well shaped and proportioned fruits. The varieties are Pepinex 69 and Euphya, both F1 all female varieties.
When I planted them in the tunnel - in the ground, not growbags, I sank the pots in the ground beside them. The plants are watered via the pots daily and have had one feed only - a smallish handful of chicken manure pellets was poured into each pot and over the space of a week, these dissloved and fed the plants. Other than that all they have had done is side shoots removed and trained up 8 ft bamboo canes.

Sweetcorn
If your plants not too big, lift it and check the root system - was it potbound when planted ? Are you getting many flowers - if so, we need to try and find out why they are not setting fruits. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

[Sue]

I've given up on the gherkin varieties, nothing from them, but the marketmore have produced, small very spiny fruits but delicious, had 5 off of two plants, not great but something.
Sue

[Alice]

Well done Alison and Rat. Great for you. Isn't it weird how some things will do great in one place and not in another, with no obvious explanation.

[Alison]

If we understood the random nature of it all perhaps it'd take away some of the fun of the annual growing adventure!

[TPeers]

If we understood the random nature of it all perhaps it'd take away some of the fun of the annual growing adventure!

Well, yes...... but while I enjoy the 'adventure' it's nicer if I get a crop of something other than weeds!

This has to be one of the worst years for veg growing I can remember, even last year with the long drought was better, hard work watering, but better!

On the plus side - bumper crop of apples this year!

[SunnyD]

Like Alison, I've got Petita cucumbers.

They're growing in pots in an unheated lean-to. It's my first year growing anything, so I can't throw much light on to why they're doing well, but I've got two plants and I'm getting a really nice crop, and have also been giving them away right, left and centre

[multiveg]

My Crystal Lemon cucumbers outside are doing well - however, the pumpkin/squash thing is pathetic - about half a dozen leaves and a flower.

[raine]

OOh I just love hearing from folk who are having disaters like me ( does that mean I'm a horrible old witch? --careful!) I've never grown cucs before and i've got two. I've given them lots of tlc but despite that am just looking at 2 spindly poor looking things. I gave up on my carrots AND runners as despite two sowings each they were munched to the ground. Oh well ,better luck next year-if i've still got an allotment that is!
raine