BobK
Full Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 9:54 pm
Location: Belmont, MA, USA

Can't grow cucumbers twice in same place.

I cannot get cucumbers to grow a second year in the same place. If I grow them in some previously unused spot, I get lush growth and tons of cukes. But if I plant there again the next year, usually the plants barely grow (less than a foot tall) and have no cukes. Very rarely I may get a partly successful second year, but not a third,

I have tried replenishing the soil with store-bought compost but it doesn't seem to help.

I should mention I buy started plants from the local garden store and I've had great success with everything else. I have grown tomatoes every year in the same spot.

Also, I am in eastern Massachusetts if that matters.

I'm guessing I am depleting something in the soil, or maybe introducing some unhealthy microbes, but that's just guess work.

Any ideas on how I could grow cukes in the same spot successfully year after year would be greatly appreciated - I'm running out of spots to move to! Thanks

Bob

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Compost is not fertilizer and cucurbits are moderate feeders. Try adding some fertilizer to your compost when you plant. Cucurbits like a low nitrogen but high phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. I have 10-20-20 available here, but for 18 gallon pots I use MG potting soil + 2 tbls osmocote, 1 cup 6-4-6 (vigoro citrus food plus micros. Slow nitrogen) and in addition I will side dress cucumbers about once a month with a tablespoon of 10-20-20 or 6-4-6. 10-20-20 is a granular fast fertilizer so it is a quick fix to sustain production. The numbers are so high so I don't need much. I plant cucumbers in a couple of different places but I try to use new soil in the pots every time I plant. I have successfully reused potting soil a couple of times but it has problems after that. I grow cucumbers from seeds. This variety is not normally available in nurseries. The trellis is 7 ft from the ground and the cucumber eventually does hang down and comes halfway down the trellis again. So about 8-10 ft of vine with good production and very good disease resistance. This picture was taken November 29, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. It gets about 6-8 hours of sun a day. I am taking the picture from the south facing north.

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/go ... -cucurbits

The problem I am having now are that the snails and fruit flies are damaging the fruit. I still have four cucumbers left but the vines are dying so I have already started the replacements. I may put the pot somewhere else just to get them away from the pests.
Attachments
3 summer dance cucumbers in an 18 gallon pot on my permanent trellis.
3 summer dance cucumbers in an 18 gallon pot on my permanent trellis.

BobK
Full Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 9:54 pm
Location: Belmont, MA, USA

Thanks!

greenstubbs
Senior Member
Posts: 274
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:41 pm
Location: Far Upper Alabama

I always rotate my crops every year, nothing get planted in the same place 2 years in a row. It winds up being every 3rd or 4th year for that. Good Luck

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have most of the large plants in pots to save space in my in ground garden. In the ground, I use succession planting. In pots, I try to use new soil unless I can't get any. I move plants around to different spots if I encounter problems. There are three places that the cucumbers do well. Sometimes, you do have to move things around until you find the sweet spot.

Most of my problems are with pests as I have disease resistant plants. I have to keep cucumbers away from zucchini and bitter melon because they really attract fruit flies. I also have to keep cutting down the fruit fly host plants nearby (hibiscus and ti). It is really hard to get effective crop rotation in such a small space. If I have disease persistence, my only other option is not to plant the same thing for a few years.

Snails are everywhere, so all I can do is go on snail hunts and use a lot of snail bait.



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