Zone 10b (socal). I planted this guy months ago, and I cannot get actual cucumbers to grow beyond their infancy. Last picture is the biggest one I’ve ever gotten. Gets lots of sun and water. There’s lots of butterflies and wasps zooming around my house for pollination. I’m at a loss. Help please!
by tu-BROOKE-ulosis
2 Comments
I thought this month my cucumbers would start dying off….the plant grew like another 6 feet….
1. May I get the dimensions of your planter (just need soil depth and available growing width/radius)?
2. Are there drainage holes at the bottom?
3. Is there a mat of cucumber roots at the bottom of your planter?
4. Additionally, is there standing water at the bottom of your planter when you dig down?
5. Can you penetrate the soil using a pencil to reach the bottom of your pot (eraser side down)?
Immediate thoughts (You will have to check a few things for me though):
-Your soil level may be too low and the cucumbers might not have enough space.
-The yellowing/spotting of your leaves may indicate waterlogging but I cannot say for certain, you will have to check if there is standing water when you dig down a little. One thing to check for: If you find muddy soil at the bottom of your pots after watering, you may want to look into drilling in some drainage holes or using a different planter that has one. Cucumbers like water, but they don’t like drowning in it.
-If the plant gets lots of water and there is no muddy soil at the bottom, you might be washing away the nutrients in the soil in which case you will have to amend with more organic matter.
Next year grow them in the ground amended with plenty of organic matter. Cucumbers demand a lot of nutrients and I recommend using compost or well-rotted manure (watch a couple of youtube videos on how to accomplish this). If you’re looking to grow them in planters, I recommend using at least a 3 gallon pot with at least 10 inches of soil height. Cucurbits size is limited to the size of their grow space from my experience.