What’s wrong with my cucumber plants??!?

[pchandr3]

Hello!

I live in the mid-Atlantic region and I’m trying to grow some cucumbers. I planted them a month ago and they have been off to the races. However, for the last two weeks or so, the leaves have been turning white and drying out.

Ive searched online and the typical responses of either mildew, fungus or watering doesn’t seem to fit the bill. I’ve tried increasing and decreasing the water. I’ve also looked for pests, none there.

any ideas??? Thank you!

 

[Chuck]

Usually when a cuc has white margins it is from either underwatering or sunscald. If the margins are brown it is usually a sign of overwatering. IMO it is a watering issue.

 

[pchandr3]

Usually when a cuc has white margins it is from either underwatering or sunscald. If the margins are brown it is usually a sign of overwatering. IMO it is a watering issue.

Thank you for your response. Here’s a zoomed in picture - and it looks like it’s white - so I’m guessing I hadn’t been watering them enough! I’ll have to make sure I water them more often.

If that doesn’t fix it, what’s the best way to deal with sun scald?

thank you!

 

[Chuck]

Thank you for your response. Here’s a zoomed in picture - and it looks like it’s white - so I’m guessing I hadn’t been watering them enough! I’ll have to make sure I water them more often.

If that doesn’t fix it, what’s the best way to deal with sun scald?

thank you!
View attachment 64134View attachment 64134

Sunscald in cucumbers planted from seed in the ground is rare. It's a 95% chance it is a watering issue. If, when you stick your finger all the way into the soil and it is damp the plant does not need watering at that time. If your finger is dry water. And when you water, water slowly, deeply and thoroughly. You will not hurt your plant by giving it way too much water but you will give your plant root rot and kill it by keeping the soil too wet by watering too often. The white and the brown margins I spoke of is anecdotal and not an established rule. But leaf margins turning these colors is 99% of the time a watering problem.

 

[pchandr3]

Sunscald in cucumbers planted from seed in the ground is rare. It's a 95% chance it is a watering issue. If, when you stick your finger all the way into the soil and it is damp the plant does not need watering at that time. If your finger is dry water. And when you water, water slowly, deeply and thoroughly. You will not hurt your plant by giving it way too much water but you will give your plant root rot and kill it by keeping the soil too wet by watering too often. The white and the brown margins I spoke of is anecdotal and not an established rule. But leaf margins turning these colors is 99% of the time a watering problem.

Thanks!

 

[headfullofbees]

Has it been windy?

 

[pchandr3]

Has it been windy?

It actually has been, with a few big storms rolling in.

 

[headfullofbees]

I suspected, from looking at them, that your problem may be chlorosis caused by windburn, which is not usually to be worried about.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

We live in a high desert area (technically shrub steppe) and we get high winds sometimes, a lot of sun and it's hot and dry so we have to irrigate. We get similar effects on our cucumbers and zucchini. It looks like crap, but it does not seem to affect production. If they start yellowing, it's a different thing - nitrogen deficiency - so I give them Epson salts, which fixes that problem. Actually, the mature leaves of our zukes get really dry and ugly looking later in the seasoning but they still keep producing.

 

[NigelJ]

If they start yellowing, it's a different thing - nitrogen deficiency - so I give them Epson salts, which fixes that problem

Surely Epsom salts is for magnesium deficiency. MgSO4 has no nitrogen in it.

 

[Chuck]

Surely Epsom salts is for magnesium deficiency. MgSO4 has no nitrogen in it.

It doesn't. What ES does do, is that the magnesium in the ES "allows or enables" the plant to uptake what nitrogen is available. In my soil, ES does not do this as my soil is too alkaline, but what it does do is allow or enable calcium to be used by the plant thus stopping Blossom End Rot.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

Interesting, we have big problems with blossom end rot - except for cherry toms. Calcium seems to fix it, but maybe the ES is helping too!

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

BTW: you are both correct. My typo. The condition is called magnesium deficiency. What it does is inhibit nitrogen absorbtion

 

[Chuck]

Interesting, we have big problems with blossom end rot - except for cherry toms. Calcium seems to fix it, but maybe the ES is helping too!

My cherrys never get BER with or without ES. But, melons, peppers and squash do. For some reason cucumbers don't get it. My soil has a huge overabundance of calcium but the plants cannot uptake it, thus the ES. If it weren't for ES I couldn't grow large varieties of tomatoes. Tomatoes are most affected with melons next. Not many peppers and squash get it but some do and that is too many. I apply ES at planting of tomatoes and peppers or as soon as the seeds sprout on melons and squash.