Jenny Smedley Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Hi, I hope some greenfingered person can advise me: I have been growing some Femspot & mini cucumber plants in my greenhouse but they seem to be dying. The leaves seem to get yellow & mottled before dying completely to a crisp. It has started at the base of the stem & has spread rapidly up the stem. Any cucumbers that were forming have also withered & died. I thought it might be a magnesium deficit so I sprayed with Andrews Liver Salts as per an article on the internet but it hasn't helped. It also seems to be spreading to my pumpkins & squashes. I don't think it can be a watering problem as I have a gravity dripper system in place that includes tomato food for feeding. Could it be something called Mosaic Virus and is it curtains for all my greenhouse plants? ( I also have some tomato plants in the greenhouse) Any advice would be welcome. Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 In past years I have had similar trouble with cucumbers (spending hours googling viruses etc )until this year when I used a tip from a gardening programme. You have to keep water off the stem so sink a small plant pot in the soil beside the cucumber plant and put water in there. It has worked a treat. I don't think it will help you this year but will be worth doing next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 they do start to die back at this time of year as the days start to get shorter plus we've had a couple of cold nights in the last few days. plus they are really hungry plants and the soil in the pots will be more or less exhausted of goodness nitrogen in particular so the lower leaves will be shed as no more fruit will be produced much more than a foot from the growing tip and the longer you leave cues' on the plant the less will set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I am wondering if it is a red spider mite problem, they are very susceptible, as are aubergines, when grown under glass. It could also be a lack of food, what medium are they growing in? I grow mine in bottomless pots sunk into the soil in my greenhouse and feed them weekly with tomato food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I am sick of cucumbers!! We planted two lemon cucumbers in the greenhouse and they have produced over a hundred fruit between them! Then there's the four Marketmores outside.........GROAN. For next year. Cucumbers like moisture so spray the foliage lightly every time you go into the greenhouse. Keep them at the back for the same reason. Feed EVERY watering. Open the door every morning to let the bumblebees in and out. They do die out now. We've chopped all ours into the compost bin....thank God! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I am sick of cucumbers!!We planted two lemon cucumbers in the greenhouse and they have produced over a hundred fruit between them! they do produce a good crop worth remembering don't grow both lemon and crystal apple/ crystal lemon they are the same variety Then there's the four Marketmores outside.........GROAN. For next year. Cucumbers like moisture so spray the foliage lightly every time you go into the greenhouse. Keep them at the back for the same reason. Feed EVERY watering. Open the door every morning to let the bumblebees in and out. They do die out now. We've chopped all ours into the compost bin....thank God! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
