pudgysmom
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Posts: 10
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 8:15 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC

Cucumber Bacterial Wilt

After a gangbuster start to growing cucumbers this year, I went out to find my slicing cucumbers totally wilted and about 1/2 of the growth destroyed. The pickling cucumbers were hit to a lesser degree. Slight evidence of insect damage, but most of the leaves just appeared to wilt and/or rot. After googling for images and researching, it seems pretty clear that I have cucumber bacterial wilt which is spread by cucumber beetles. The websites seem to indicate there isn't much you can do to stop it once its taken hold other than pull the plants. I researched my seeds and the pickling cucumbers are wilt resistant/tolerant while the slicing cucumbers were not which validated my observation of the plants. My problem is that the two types of cucumbers have somewhat grown together and intermingled. I'm not sure I can pull the harder hit slicing cucumbers out with out severely damaging the pickling cucumbers.

So, the question is . . . do I pull everything up, replant, and consistently treat with insecticide to stop the infection from starting (spread by cucumber beetles), or leave everything in and accept that the plants will struggle through the season and I will likely get a low yield.

When is too late to restart the cucumbers and them established before the hot, dry weather hits?

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RamonaGS
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Posts: 310
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 10:10 pm
Location: Solvang, Ca

Well, I don't know about your planting season, but there is a product you might experiment with, if you want to try treating the plants you have. It's not made for plants, but it is a botanical sold for treating aquarium fish. It's called Melafix, and it is just melaleuca extract, but we keep it in the first aid kit now, because it works wonders on skin infections on humans and animals. How I would try it on the plants, is to dilute it as much as the directions say ie 1 tsp to gallon of water or whatever it is, put it in a spray bottle and try spraying one of the plants to see if it will work. I have never had to use it on a plant, so I don't know if it will burn the plant's leaves or not. I'm actually pretty sure it will kill the bacteria, but not sure what else it will do. You can find it in Petco and Petsmart, or online. Maybe someone else here knows something better and more certain, but seems to me you don't have much to lose if the plants are to a point where you are ready to rip them up and start over. I posted a link so you can see what I am referring to. Good luck with your plants, and I hope you figure something out. :)

https://www.petco.com/product/101051/Pon ... laFix.aspx

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rainbowgardener
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Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Melaleuca (tea tree oil) is also insect repellant (as well as fungicidal, anti-bacterial, etc). Good stuff, but I have never tried it on plants, so I would definitely test it on a couple leaves first.

https://voices.yahoo.com/how-tea-tree-oi ... tml?cat=68



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