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Cucumber 'La Diva'

Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276
in Fruit & veg
Hi folks. This is my first time growing cucumbers. I have one plant bought when very small from a charity table. Its now a very large plant with nice big leaves and climbing up it's support like bindweed. It has probably half a dozen or more flowers, with a mini cucumber behind each flower and lower down the plant these flowers have withered.

OK my question is, shouldn't those mini cucumbers be getting bigger? They don't look to have grown at all. What am I missing? Many thanks in advance.

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Size of pot, watering and feeding can cause this. Also not picking ripe fruit will kill off the little ones too. A picture might give us a better idea.😁
  • Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276
    Thank you for that purplerallim, I'll take a photo tomorrow. The pot is a rectangular plastic tub, very large. I keep the compost moist, I do know it hasn't dried out at any point. The feed is Tomorite, given once a week. Too often maybe?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Nope just right, both tub and food. Maybe not enough water at one time. Mine get watered three times a week (every/every other day when its as hot as its been) and about a quarter of a watering can each, plus feed day.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Have you pinched out the tip to stop the onward top growth yet? The other reason cucumber fruit die off like that is because the plant can't support that many fruit whilst also growing - fruit at the tip get priority, so it's like the equivalent of June drop. Cucumbers will keep growing up off the tip forever. NASA were considering using them as a ladder to the international space station (note, this fact may not be 100% true).

    @purplerallim we seem to be following each other around on the cucumber threads for this problem at the minute  :D
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    True, true @strelitzia32 😂
    Its that time of year when the tomato and cucumber questions appear. 😁
    I love to be able to pass on the knowledge that others on here have given me.😁
  • Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276
    I haven't pinched out the tip and in fact it has a side 'shoot'? So a case of too much plant and not enough fruit? I've got tomato plants on the go but I've got experience with them. One of those (crimson crush) has a bit too much fruit if anything. I have two chilli plants, first time with those too so might have to consult you folks again  ;)
  • Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Its all looking good to me 😁
  • Fishy65Fishy65 Posts: 2,276
    That's good to know purplerallim, so those teeny cucumbers will get bigger  :)
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    As long as the flowers were pollinated yes, but self pollinating sometimes don't, so not grow. Your plant is small yet and there is plenty of time for them to grow.😁
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