Cucumber...should I be concerned?

[itguy12]

Hi!

Should I be at all concerned about this cucumber plant? This is my first year "gardening", so leaning on you all for knowledge. Ha!

I've attached a full shot of the plant, and a close up of one of the leaves.

FYI...I have not applied any pesticides/insecticides to this point. Should I? If so, what?

Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

I see improper watering. I see a nutritional issue. I see unimportant old damage. When you water, water slowly, deeply and thoroughly. Don't water a little and come back two days later and water again. The nutritional issue will get much worse very shortly. It appears that the plant is lacking in trace minerals as shown by many of the leaves turning yellowish with still green veins. Regular NPK fertilizer will help but the use of Chelated Iron is what you really want to use. It has more trace minerals than fertilizer and some minerals that fertilizer lacks.

 

[itguy12]

The watering might be the issue...I only water for 5-10 seconds for each plant every few days. And we have a very dry week last week.

For the food, I've been using Espoma Plant Tone (about a cup per plant a month) and blood meal. Could I just up the dosage and frequency for this?

 

[Chuck]

The watering might be the issue...I only water for 5-10 seconds for each plant every few days. And we have a very dry week last week.

For the food, I've been using Espoma Plant Tone (about a cup per plant a month) and blood meal. Could I just up the dosage and frequency for this?

When you water, water. You cannot overwater a plant but you will make a plant very unhappy by watering too often. Espoma products are arguably the best or one of the best organic fertilizers there is. But, it has limitations, a lack of many needed minerals. Blood meal is mainly just nitrogen, no P or K but it does contain a very small amount of iron. You can up the amount and frequency of the bloodmeal but be careful that you don't upset the Ph of your soil with the bloodmeal. I would use the Espoma every 2 weeks and the blood meal @ 1 tablespoon every week until the yellowing disappears. Or, use Chelated Iron. If it were me I'd use the Chelated Iron. I had a very chlorotic pepper plant and 1 dose of the CI completely cured the problem. For a 100% cure it took 6 weeks but it was 90% cured in 1 week. The pepper was in a container so leaching was an issue.

 

[headfullofbees]

For speedy mineral replacement, I can't see past comfrey or seaweed extract; in fact I have a rubbish bin (garbage can) full of mixed comfrey and seaweed extract. It is great for everything other than phosphate, for which I add fish, blood & bone.