I have a few cucumber plants where they just aren't developing the fruit. there are tons on it and they just die as soon or soon after the flowers die. I have loads and loads of bees in my garden, I can't imagine that they're not getting pollinated. I have a whole bunch of cucumber plants and a few of them [produce regularly where some of the others just don't produce. any thoughts?
thank you!
- engineeredgarden
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 426
- Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 11:51 am
- Location: NW Alabama
What have the temperatures been like? The S.F. Bay Area has had the coldest "summer" in 40 years, according to the weather folk, and my complete FAILURE: squash (including zucchini), eggplant, in-ground tomatoes proves it.
Without sufficient heat, these plants aren't comfortable. I've given up on cukes b/c I know I can't provide enough heat in my yard for them. So...how about the temps?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17 (more like -17), USDA Zone 9
Without sufficient heat, these plants aren't comfortable. I've given up on cukes b/c I know I can't provide enough heat in my yard for them. So...how about the temps?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17 (more like -17), USDA Zone 9
temps... high 80's low 90's. I would assume that it is hot enough
seriously? poor pollination? I just can't see how it would be so since there are so many darn bees... unless they're avoiding the cucumbers altogether and bypassing them for the squash and tomatoes. they fight over the squash flowers and the sunflowers...
seriously? poor pollination? I just can't see how it would be so since there are so many darn bees... unless they're avoiding the cucumbers altogether and bypassing them for the squash and tomatoes. they fight over the squash flowers and the sunflowers...
They'll begin to grow soon.
I started growing some for the first time this year, and for almost a month after I saw the first flower, they would all shrivel up and die. None of them ever grew to full size.
The one day, I had one grow, then another, then another.
I think they need to go through that process for awhile until the plant builds enough strength to hold fullsize fruit. After you see one grow, they will be popping up all over the place.
Keep checking in shady areas of the plant. I had two Cucumbers growing that I didn't even know were there, until I moved the plant around.
I started growing some for the first time this year, and for almost a month after I saw the first flower, they would all shrivel up and die. None of them ever grew to full size.
The one day, I had one grow, then another, then another.
I think they need to go through that process for awhile until the plant builds enough strength to hold fullsize fruit. After you see one grow, they will be popping up all over the place.
Keep checking in shady areas of the plant. I had two Cucumbers growing that I didn't even know were there, until I moved the plant around.
I'm having that problem now after a modest production period. My plants are under stress from some disease that I think has been spread by the cucumber beetles. I've had to cut a ton of bad leaves off. Yours are probably under stress from something, too. It could be anything from watering to soil quality.
I grew cucumbers and one day I found the beginnings of a cuke. I watched it for over two weeks and it was really nice. Under all the leaves I discovered more and more cucumbers. I check daily and grab one every 2-3 days. Just keep waiting and _looking_. Sending cuke vibes your way!!
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I don't know if this will help you, but here's a lot of information on cucumber beetles.
https://www.extension.org/pages/64274/ma ... ZmAsc6Ciao
https://www.extension.org/pages/64274/ma ... ZmAsc6Ciao
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- Green Thumb
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:06 pm
- Location: MD Suburbs of DC, 7a
Do you live next to neighbors who regularly use insecticides? Has it been excessively windy for awhile? Have you been using Surround or other "natural" insecticides? I've used Surround to control the flea beetles attacking my eggplants, and in the process interrupted the pollination of my eggplants. I've been getting flowers but the Surround has kept the bees away from the flowers, hence, no fruits on the plants. So I stopped using it for awhile. The tomatoes next to the eggplants are really fruiting up. If you have tomatoes or other plants requiring pollination how are they doing?
Are the vines getting enough water?
My cucumbers started producing poorly but I had been planting them in the same spot for years. I think the soil just got played out. I moved them to another place but while they produced a lot of flowers, few fruit and I have a parthenocarpic cucumber that does not require pollination. I think it just isn't getting enough water or there may be nematodes or some other stress that is stopping fruit production.
If your other cucumbers are producing, then they are getting polllinated. It might be something specific about the location that is causing the problem, some type of stress from bugs, disease, nematodes, or water.
My cucumbers started producing poorly but I had been planting them in the same spot for years. I think the soil just got played out. I moved them to another place but while they produced a lot of flowers, few fruit and I have a parthenocarpic cucumber that does not require pollination. I think it just isn't getting enough water or there may be nematodes or some other stress that is stopping fruit production.
If your other cucumbers are producing, then they are getting polllinated. It might be something specific about the location that is causing the problem, some type of stress from bugs, disease, nematodes, or water.
What kind of cucumbers are they. I had a gynoecious cucumber and it produced a lot of flowers but half of them were male and dropped off. I did get n4 cucumber then the rest were stung by fruit flies. I tried bagging, but maybe I bagged them too late. I pulled the vines. I am also spraying my host plants and setting up more fruit fly bait. I usually get 11 cucumber from Diva and Suyo long. They are parthenocarpic. I usually don't have fruit fly problems, but hey, maybe my luck ran out. I usually do have fruit fly traps out, but the new bait doesn't seem to work as well as the old one. I may have to put more traps out.
Fruit from squash cukes are usually pollinated by (squash bees) sweat bees not honey bees, although honey bees will as well. Pollination may not be the issue if you have so many bees. The young fruit can be stung and that is usually the problem here. When the fruit is stung very young, it will turn yellow and die, older fruit survive and you just cut out the bad part and it is still edible. Bagging works but needs to be applied soon after pollination and it has to be sealed well enough that the fruit fly cannot sting the fruit. it is tedious to do, but sometimes necessary to protect squash and melons.
Fruit from squash cukes are usually pollinated by (squash bees) sweat bees not honey bees, although honey bees will as well. Pollination may not be the issue if you have so many bees. The young fruit can be stung and that is usually the problem here. When the fruit is stung very young, it will turn yellow and die, older fruit survive and you just cut out the bad part and it is still edible. Bagging works but needs to be applied soon after pollination and it has to be sealed well enough that the fruit fly cannot sting the fruit. it is tedious to do, but sometimes necessary to protect squash and melons.
- jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Hmmmm, I dunno. conditions vary a lot from place to place. Here I just go out about first of June and plant a row of seeds [full sunshine] in the garden plot and stand back. I do nothing special for them . They get the once a week watering that the whole garden gets. Here in high dry Utah we have to irrigate to grow anything. Hey I would try several varieties. You may find one that excels there.