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Garden Gate:  Cucumber question  |
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BStein
True Blue Farmgirl
75 Posts
Barbara
Westerville
OH
75 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 03 2006 : 09:36:47 AM
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I think my cucumber plants have a problem. I have about 6 plants, and while I continue to see blooms, and have been for several weeks, I have only about 3 cucumbers growing in all. The vines are long and have many leaves, but the leaves closest to the roots are brown. Should I pinch off the end of the vines to keep it from continuing to grow, or is all of this normal for cucumbers? It's been a while since I tried cucumbers and I don't remember how they did last. Thanks for the advice.
Barbara |
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santa_gertrudis_gal
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Kim
Groesbeck
Texas
USA
198 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2006 : 10:50:02 AM
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Barbara,
You may need to fertilize them. In the NPK ratio, it's the Phosphorus that helps with producing the fruit or vegetable of the plant. Pollination may be the problem too. Do you see bees around the plants. If not you can probably pollinate the plants yourself. Rubbing a male flower against a female flower. Did you plant them in a row or did you plant the six plants so you have a box shape. Box shaping with a small number of plants will help with pollination from wind. The leaves closest to the roots are probably just old, and depending on your heat may just be dieing. Cucumbers are less likely to produce in very hot weather. I found this website to help.
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/cucumber.html
Kim
Heaven is a day at the ranch with my Santa Gertrudis! |
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BStein
True Blue Farmgirl
75 Posts
Barbara
Westerville
OH
75 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2006 : 1:04:53 PM
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Kim,
Thanks for the referral. I did read it. I guess I may have a pollination problem as my squash is doing the same thing in terms of many blooms and no produce. I do have many bees, but have not seen them on the cucumbers...they spend their time on the mint and other flowering plants around the garden. I haven't fertilized in around two weeks. After the storm today, I'll do that. It seems like it's just the squash and cucumbers I'm having problems with, though. Lots of tomatoes and peppers and they've all had the same amount of fertilizer. Maybe cukes need more than most? To answer your question, they are all in a row and my garden is terraced so some are vining up to the next level and some of the vines are growing up around the tomato cages and an empty cage I placed right in the center of the cucumbers. Maybe next year I'll plant them in a box as you suggested.
Thanks,
Barbara |
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Garden Gate: Cucumber question |
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Cucumber question
