Cucumber Plants slowly dying

[phkc070408]

All: My cucumber plants are slowly dying. This happened with my spring planting and is again happening with the August Planting. The leaves will slowly turn to yellow, then brown, then eventually die.

The August plants are in the same spot that the Spring plants were in. The only thing I did different in the fall was add DE Earth to the sop of my soil, since my cabbage and brocolli were getting attaked by bugs from within the soil.

Any idea what's going on here? I'd like to try and save this batch, but more importantly fix things for the spring.

 

[Chuck]

All: My cucumber plants are slowly dying. This happened with my spring planting and is again happening with the August Planting. The leaves will slowly turn to yellow, then brown, then eventually die.

The August plants are in the same spot that the Spring plants were in. The only thing I did different in the fall was add DE Earth to the sop of my soil, since my cabbage and brocolli were getting attaked by bugs from within the soil.

Any idea what's going on here? I'd like to try and save this batch, but more importantly fix things for the spring.

I hope I am wrong but I think you have Cucumber Mosaic Virus or another strain of mosaic virus. There is no cure. Cucumber Mosaic Virus is spread by aphids. The good news is that it doesn't live in the soil, only on the infected plant debris. Squash and melons are infected by beetles but the result is the same. When plants are young inspect daily for any type of insect and take appropriate action.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I wondered if it was an attack of Autumn? I am about 20 degrees further North than you, but mine have gone already.
I read what Chuck said about it not being in the soil, but I would still put them somewhere else next year.

 

[phkc070408]

Dang. I even sprayed the plants with both Nheem oil and Captain Jack’s Superscrub. I sprayed them a few times and I sprayed the soil as well.

 

[nvidura]

Since you mentioned adding diatomaceous earth (DE) to your soil, it could have affected the soil's moisture retention. DE is excellent for pest control but can also dry out the soil, which may lead to stress for your cucumber plants. If the soil is too dry, it can cause yellowing leaves.

 

[phkc070408]

I don't think it was that, since the problem also occurred for my first round of cucumbers, in the same spot.

Unless others disagree, my plan for next year is to:

1. Plant the cucumbers on the other side of the garden.
2. Spray them with Neehm and Supersoap more frequently, earlier in their life
Note: I bought a spray nozzle that works upside down, so it will be easier to get the undersides
3. Plant some Garlic, Catnip, and marigolds around the cucumbers. Also, I'll start the marigolds indoors early in the season, so they're in or near bloom when they go in the ground in early May. If they're not in or near bloom, I'll just buy some.

Opinions please.

 

[cpp gardener]

Since you don’t have to worry about pollinators getting to flowers until the plant is bigger, you can cover them with row covers until they bloom and that will get them ahead of the bugs. Once they start to bloom be consistent with insect control.

 

[Meadowlark]

Opinions please.

To your list I would add:

4. grow them on a trellis of some sort. Production will be substantially better than on ground.

5. make sure your new location gets full sun. These are tropical in origin and thrive in full sun.

6. Number 6 should be number 1 in priority. Rich, fertile soils are best option for cucumbers. Composted animal manure is great soil amendment for them, green manure turned into the soil and assimilated well in advance of planting is a step cucumbers love.

 

[Ruderunner]

Trellis is the only way to go, even it you have the room for them to spread on the ground. Picking is so much easier too.

 

[phkc070408]

I do have a trellis and it's up.

Regarding adding in the composted animal manure, while I agree it will be good for the crops, will it alleviate the aphids? That's the goal right now.

My soil is very fertile and I don't want to over-do it. In fact, a university soil test found my levels of P and K to be excessive last fall, and told me to add a fertilizer that has strictly nitrogen in it, meaning #-0-0.

 

[YumYum]

Manure will keep adding to the phosphate level. Phosphate doesn't move from the soil very readily so once it is there it is basically there. Manure can also raise the pH of the soil over time so you may want to check that.

Manure will not do anything to get rid of aphids.

Blood meal is an orgainc source of mainly nitrogen so that is something to consider using.

 

[Meadowlark]

I do have a trellis and it's up.

Regarding adding in the composted animal manure, while I agree it will be good for the crops, will it alleviate the aphids? That's the goal right now.

I can't make that association completely, but I never have aphids and I use a large amount of well composted animal manure. The compost leads to healthy plants and healthy plants generally are much less vulnerable to aphids, in my experience.

You can "grow your own" nitrogen by using legumes as cover crops along with application of the compost. That is all I ever use to grow my veggies. No synthetic fertilizers, ever. My soil consistently tests out to "No N, P, K required" and has for many years...and the plants are aphid free.

 

[nao57]

What kind of night temperatures are you getting?

This time of year, I always lose my cucumber plants. But its because they don't like the cold. My day temperatures are fine. But my night temperatures are close to 40, 38, 39-ish F etc. They just don't like the cold. Same with other vine stuff.

 

[phkc070408]

What kind of night temperatures are you getting?

This time of year, I always lose my cucumber plants. But its because they don't like the cold. My day temperatures are fine. But my night temperatures are close to 40, 38, 39-ish F etc. They just don't like the cold. Same with other vine stuff.

Mid 40ºs, however this started when things were warmer. It also happened earlier in the season when things were a lot warmer.

 

[phkc070408]

You can "grow your own" nitrogen by using legumes as cover crops along with application of the compost. That is all I ever use to grow my veggies. No synthetic fertilizers, ever. My soil consistently tests out to "No N, P, K required" and has for many years...and the plants are aphid free.

I completely understand that, but again, I'm already in the excessive range on the P and K. Do I still want to add manure?