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Cucumber plants

AngieRAngieR Posts: 347
in Fruit & veg

This morning I noticed a bit of slime around the bottom of the stems on my cucumber plants.  I found the culprit, since extinguished, I wondered about putting a couple of slug pellets under a saucer on the ground nearby.  Due to my shift pattern I am unable to get out in the dark to slug hunt most of the week and beer traps give me the boak!!!  What do others do if they have this problem?  I should add that they are growing in the greenhouse and have not noticed any signs of them on the tomatoes.  Are they likely to go for those too?

Also, the bottom leaves are absolutely massive, as large as dinner plates, is this normal?  It seems they are shutting out all the light from the ripening cucumbers nearer the base of the plants.  Am I able to remove the bottom 2 or 3 without affecting the fruits (?)

I am new to growing any sort of fruit or veg so apologies if these are frequently asked questions.  I find the search facility throws up too much information to wade through.

Cheers!

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    HI Angie - as you know I'm a first timer with cue's too and veg generally, but I've been growing other stuff for about 50 yrs. inc toms.

    I very much doubt that slugs or snails will travel anywhere on your cue's due to their prickly nature. The leaves and stems are extremely rough and not suited to slug/snail travel..
    If there's a cue touching the ground or the compost in the pot then one may have a go at it, but I doubt it'll travel any further.
    Same goes for your toms - they have hairy stems and pungent leaves, slugs leave well alone unless they can get directly onto a truss that's toughing the ground and have a nibble.

    Bottom leaves on my cue's are also huge, the cue's underneath are still fine and growing rapidly though the skin is paler. This morning I saw 1 ready to be picked - when I went to get it this evening, there are another 5 ready!


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AngieRAngieR Posts: 347

    Cheers Pete.  No new damage today so possibly he was the only one in there.  I hope those cues were delicious!

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    They were thanks Angie.

    Picked another this evening and saw lots of droopy leaves! The pot was bone dry, so gave it a good soak. I'd only soaked it 24hrs earlier and it's a 22L pot - I must remember to check morning and evening!
    The leaves are way too rough for slugs and snails  - and almost my delicate hands! image


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    If leaves are green they are powering the growth of the plant.  Leave them be.  I can never understand why gardeners want to prune everything, especially tomatoes.

  • AngieRAngieR Posts: 347

    Thanks Welshonion. I wasn't sure if those leaves were hampering the cucumbers ripening or not. They are still green so I will just leave them be. 

    Had my first this morning Pete..... Yum! 

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    Hooray! I bet it was delish!

    There are none to pick on mine today - I'm relieved to say :)
    But another glut on the way by the look of it


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Just wait until the courgettes get into their stride!

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