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Cucumber plant health

LauraK2LauraK2 Posts: 26
in Fruit & veg
Hi there, I’m quite new to growing vegetables and don’t seem to be having much luck. This year I am trying cucumbers (la diva). They were doing really well until the leaves developed spots and brown patches and the patches were crisping up. From my research I am guessing some kind of leaf spot? It is now affecting all 8 of my plants. I have taken the affected leaves off but the plants are starting to look bare! I am fed up, my tomatoes last year also ended up diseased (although this produce a good yield). I am growing the cucumbers indoors so don’t understand where the problem has come from. Please help! Do I give up and just buy some plants from the garden centre instead?
P.S. this picture has been taken today on a newly affected leaf. It gets much worse. But I didn’t take any photos of the ones I took off unfortunately.

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    These are hungry plants so as the leaves are the same size as the pot it's in, its time to re pot. Also it needs lots of light and be careful not to get water on the leaves. This tends to happen quite a bit to plants as it's there way of showing stress, so dont worry too much just give them time to strengthen and leave the leaves on it won't do any harm, just looks unsightly. Hope this helps
  • LauraK2LauraK2 Posts: 26
    purplerallim said:
    These are hungry plants so as the leaves are the same size as the pot it's in, its time to re pot. Also it needs lots of light and be careful not to get water on the leaves. This tends to happen quite a bit to plants as it's there way of showing stress, so dont worry too much just give them time to strengthen and leave the leaves on it won't do any harm, just looks unsightly. Hope this helps
    That is very helpful - thank you so much. A trip to the garden centre for more pots now then! What compost should I use?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Just general purpose compost from any GC . Re pot now and at the end of May it can go outside either in the garden or in a tub. When flowers/fruit appears feed with tomato food and make sure it's well tied to a cane as it will get top heavy and break the stem if you are not careful,  this year I am trying clematis netting to grow mine up to try to take the weight .😁
  • LauraK2LauraK2 Posts: 26
    So helpful! That is what I shall do. Advice much appreciated. One year I will finally get the hang of it I’m sure!! I’ve got carrots starting outside and will start some beans off in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed  :)
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    You sound like you are as far along as myself. I'm still learning after 20 years ( mind you for 10 of them I only grew tomatoes, no room)  Now I have a greenhouse, such bliss, but I enjoyed growing in my blow away just as much. The French beans as you say in the next two weeks, my carrots are in and for the first try Golden beetroot.  If you have room I recommend red spring onions called Apache they are easy and delicious. 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    When you say 'indoors', is the area centrally heated?  If so, it is probably not humid enough for them.  Standing the new pots on trays filled with pea-shingle and water will help raise the humidity near the plants - I even do that in the greenhouse for cucumbers.  You could also give them an occasional spray with a hand-mister, the type used for indoor plants.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LauraK2LauraK2 Posts: 26
    Thank you everyone ☺️ I have just potted them up in the bigger pots, but have noticed the bottoms of the stems are split! No sign of pests so maybe a stress thing? Have potted them anyway and put a better support up. So will see what happens now. What a cucumber drama! 
  • mrtjformanmrtjforman Posts: 331
    veg that needs to be replanted every year is a headache  like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. I have switched to plants that regrow every year like asparagus, rhubarb, currants, raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries. Much less hassle than cuccumbers which grow faster than you can keep up feeding and repotting them and once they start producing cucumbers one dry spell will kill the lot.
    They are very ph sensitive plants and hungry. So use rain water, not tap water - I am suspecting since they are indoors this is what has caused the yellowing leaves but they also need regular feeding with plant food.


  • Jolly Gary the GardenerJolly Gary the Gardener Posts: 133
    For the last 4 years I have successfully grown "Burpless" variety of Cucumbers outside in my garden.It is a south facing garden so very sunny. This variety have low acid content so reduce irritation to sensitive stomachs.Its the only cucumber my dad could eat as when I was a kid he had a stomach Ulcer. He grows them so I decided to try them and everyone in the family has said how tasty they are.I grow 4 plants and always enough for family and friends. Cucumbers are sensitive to extreme heat like we had last year.mine stopped growing for two weeks then when the weather changed they went bonkers. Yellowing of leaves is probably result of needing a plant food being applied
    Happy Gardening
    Jolly G
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