MIgardener: If Your Cucumbers are on The STRUGGLE BUS – You Are Not Alone!
Cucumbers can be emotionally draining for a gardener. In this episode we are talking all about why they are challenging and what we are doing about it to overcome the struggles.
I've grown so many cucumber cultivars I can't even count them. The most disease resistant,best tasting, high yielding cultivar I've grown is called Gateway. They produce large slicers for months. I grow them in Long Island Ny. We have hot humid conditions with heavy dew almost every night. Give them a try. I know you'll love them.
Donna here, I stopped growing cucumbers all together because they always came out bitter. I thought I was doing everything right, I put them in a half barrel so they wouldn't be in clay, they got water and fertilizer(organic) . They had enough pollinators on them (I live in N. Louisiana). What is the problem, what am I doing wrong? They look great, but when I try to eat them , they are SOO bitter!
My cukes have produced nicely. This was the first year I put them on cattle panels. I love the cattle panels! I've got a squash plant climbing one now with the cukes. I have sprinkled compost tea on all the leaves on five different times. I'll do it again tomorrow. I haven't had any pest problems this season.
Thanks, Luke, for allowing me not to feel like a failure. 😄 I pulled my dying cucumbers this morning and watched this video in the afternoon feeling vindicated. LOL! Thank God for a growing season long enough for subsequent plantings. (Zone 6)
My pickling cukes are doing great but all but one slicing cuke plant died from I believe vine borers. So I wrapped tinfoil around my only slicing cuke plant and it’s doing ok but it’s not really producing.
Hey Luke, we have 6 plants growing in 6 locations out here in mountains of western MD. Like you, strange year. But, the cuke growing near our large compost pile rocks every year. It gets direst sun after 12 but two large apples trees block the am sun. The others all struggling are out in good soil in the hot sun suffering from extreme humidity and heat. Honestly I won't spray with fungicides and insecticides but believe that in or near compost and providing water (our one near the compost gets 1/2 gal per day) will be the best strategy here.
I know this is a different subject but what is your opinion about growing clover instead of grass? Sorry for this question but I didn’t know how to email you directly
I've found cukes success is entirely dependent on how well they are fed. If I'm following my normal feeding schedule (mittleider weekly feed) I get 1+lbs of cucumber day. If I deviate from that by reducing feed, my plant health and production tanks.
This year they were doing great until the squirrels and mice got desperate, and I went from full production to nil.
My pickling cucumbers seem to be struggling, they look amazing and have some blossoms, and I have them trellised. Still only a couple of cucumbers, definitely not enough for pickles. The small persian type and the Miniature White are putting out fruit faster than I can use it or give it away, but the vines look terrible. They are also trellised. As a side note, I am really enjoying the miniature white cucumbers, they are very mild and remind me more of melon, but not sweet, if that makes any sense. Happy gardening! Every year something seems to do well and other things do not, so if I get cucumbers this year, tomatoes next year, it all works out in my canning schedule, if not in my salad schedule.
I got your seed for Spacemaster 80, Homemade Pickles, and Sumter cucumbers when they were on sale at the end of last season, and we are having a great crop. My only problem is catching them before they get too big! Great seed, thanks.
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I've grown so many cucumber cultivars I can't even count them. The most disease resistant,best tasting, high yielding cultivar I've grown is called Gateway. They produce large slicers for months. I grow them in Long Island Ny. We have hot humid conditions with heavy dew almost every night. Give them a try. I know you'll love them.
Donna here, I stopped growing cucumbers all together because they always came out bitter. I thought I was doing everything right, I put them in a half barrel so they wouldn't be in clay, they got water and fertilizer(organic) . They had enough pollinators on them (I live in N. Louisiana). What is the problem, what am I doing wrong? They look great, but when I try to eat them , they are SOO bitter!
Spinosad from Amazon could not be delivered in Lowell, MI 🙁 The Captain Jacks version.
In Louisiana we use 40% shade cloths, from mid June til early September. I use it when we hit 95 degrees consistently.
My cukes have produced nicely. This was the first year I put them on cattle panels. I love the cattle panels! I've got a squash plant climbing one now with the cukes.
I have sprinkled compost tea on all the leaves on five different times. I'll do it again tomorrow. I haven't had any pest problems this season.
Thanks, Luke, for allowing me not to feel like a failure. 😄 I pulled my dying cucumbers this morning and watched this video in the afternoon feeling vindicated. LOL! Thank God for a growing season long enough for subsequent plantings. (Zone 6)
My pickling cukes are doing great but all but one slicing cuke plant died from I believe vine borers. So I wrapped tinfoil around my only slicing cuke plant and it’s doing ok but it’s not really producing.
Fer me in Colorado, beets sprouted like 3 weeks ago…still just1/2 inch sprouts sittin' there.
Hey Luke, we have 6 plants growing in 6 locations out here in mountains of western MD. Like you, strange year. But, the cuke growing near our large compost pile rocks every year. It gets direst sun after 12 but two large apples trees block the am sun. The others all struggling are out in good soil in the hot sun suffering from extreme humidity and heat. Honestly I won't spray with fungicides and insecticides but believe that in or near compost and providing water (our one near the compost gets 1/2 gal per day) will be the best strategy here.
I came for cucumber help, was distracted by the moth flitting happily around the cabbages. 😬
When you talk about succession planting the cucumbers, are you talking about plants or direct sowing?
Thank you
Thank you. Yes it's been tough.
I know this is a different subject but what is your opinion about growing clover instead of grass? Sorry for this question but I didn’t know how to email you directly
I've found cukes success is entirely dependent on how well they are fed. If I'm following my normal feeding schedule (mittleider weekly feed) I get 1+lbs of cucumber day. If I deviate from that by reducing feed, my plant health and production tanks.
This year they were doing great until the squirrels and mice got desperate, and I went from full production to nil.
I recommend your channel all of the time. I love learning from you.
My pickling cucumbers seem to be struggling, they look amazing and have some blossoms, and I have them trellised. Still only a couple of cucumbers, definitely not enough for pickles. The small persian type and the Miniature White are putting out fruit faster than I can use it or give it away, but the vines look terrible. They are also trellised. As a side note, I am really enjoying the miniature white cucumbers, they are very mild and remind me more of melon, but not sweet, if that makes any sense. Happy gardening! Every year something seems to do well and other things do not, so if I get cucumbers this year, tomatoes next year, it all works out in my canning schedule, if not in my salad schedule.
My cukes are doing well. My peppers on the other hand
Strange cucumber year for me. Very healthy plants, lots of flowers, many bees. No cucumbers. Three MI Gardener varieties.
Those frogging beetles ruined my lemon cucumbers this year too. Real shame since it was my first year growing them and they are great tasting.
Yes,it’s been a horrible hot summer here. I’m 63 and I’ve never experienced one like it.
In the process of wilt. Every year
I got your seed for Spacemaster 80, Homemade Pickles, and Sumter cucumbers when they were on sale at the end of last season, and we are having a great crop. My only problem is catching them before they get too big! Great seed, thanks.
Great info! So far my cucumbers are doing great. Love the advice, thanks!
I agree Luke, this July here in michigan has been hard to deal with😊, love your videos!