Topic: Poor Cucumber / Aubergine Growth

[wetandcold]

For the last few years I have grown aubergines and cucumbers easily in my greenhouse without any trouble but, this year, they are just not thriving very well at all. As per usual I am growing the aubergines in large pots of compost (mixture of shop bought compost and my own home-made plus some grit) and the cucumbers are in the borders of my greenhouse. In the same borders are my tomatoes and they are doing as well as usual. When I first noticed that the cucumbers weren't growing well I sowed another couple in pots of Levington's multi-purpose compost and they aren't doing well either. The cucumbers are, as usual, Marketmore and Crystal Lemon.

The plants all germinated fine and grew to about 6" fairly quickly. However, since then (April / May) they have grown very, very  slowly and, more recently, stopped all together. The leaves are slightly yellow but otherwise they look fine. I have watered some more and some less as an experiment but that hasn't helped. I have also fed some, but not others, with tomorite to see if that can resurrect them but I am stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?

My own thoughts:

It has been a pretty cool and wet summer up here in Glasgow until very recently - will this be a major factor?
All have been exposed to my own home-made compost on one way or another - could this cause problems?

[macmac]

My OH has grown cucumbers for years,hundreds from 2 plants but this year they are so slow (a bit like my butternut squash)
I think it's just one of those things as he buys the plants and gets them for lottie friends who are all having splendid crops this year.
Mother nature eh  :)

[goodlife]

Both plant will need good night time temperature to grow well..particularly aubergine.
During day the temperature in GH will be enough..even in 'not so good' summers.
Last night we had bellow 10'C..again.. ::)..tomatoes will cope with that but cumbers and aubergines will sulk.

[Tee Gee]

However, since then (April / May) they have grown very, very  slowly and, more recently, stopped all together.

This seems to be quite common this year could it be that where once upon a time we could say there was 3-4 weeks feeding in Multi-purpose composts, and up to six weeks for potting, but possibly now the recipes are being altered to cut costs?

I worked in the food and drink industry in a previous life and the method /s often used there was to put a little less fruit in the mix to cut costs.

In fact;  the classic case was M&S who would dictate the fruit  content in their products, wheras their competitors usually asked for a little less so that they could undercut M&S.

Could similar be happening in the compost industry?


Fertilsers are the most expensive ingredient in compost, so it would make a good area to cut cost without the buyer noticing it.

I think in future I might buy the cheapest peat based compost I can buy and add my own fertilser.

Note I said peat based as opposed to peat reduced/free because this is another area that is subject to adding ingredients to the manufacturer/suppliers recipe! or am I being too cynical?

Whats your thoughts on that one folks?

[Ellen K]

I'm guessing it will be the cold.  I've got 3 cucumber plants and it is the youngest one that raced away because it went in the hothouse first.  Lots of Miracle Gro and watering also helps. But you are probably doing that already.  Check if you've got ants in the borders because they can areate the soil to such a degree that the plants roots are in contact with nothing but air. 

[tim]

My problem has been the aborting of fruit. (Mainly Passandra)

Up to the roof, only one or two went on each plant but, as they go along the roof, there are many more.

Also, the older foliage is yellowing a lot. Just old age?

[wetandcold]

Thanks for all the replies! We have got ants actually - quite a few of them and many more than previous years. I've been putting a bit of powder on them but perhaps I need to try harder.

I am pretty sure it isn't old age - here's a pic of a couple of the cucumbers:


Marketmore Cucumber. Levington's Compost. Sown direct in this pot in April.


Crystal Lemon cucumber. Planted into border mid-may.

All the fruits just drop off when they're tiny.

[tim]

Sorry - meant MINE were a bit aged!

Sowed directly in that pot?? Is that your usual way? A bit strange??

Watering more or less? At that stage, just check that the soil is moist - with good drainage - & stick to that.

In the border - but in a pot??

Fertiliser? I would have thought that - if thought necessary - a high N feed would be better?

[goodlife]

Ahhh..what is that woody stuff on top of the compost in pot? Did that come with the compost or have you added some chippings as mulch?
Plants look ok..tad pale perharps..but that would go hand in hand with the 'woody stuff'. I think you could do sprinkling teaspoon of lime on surface and watering that in so there is non on surface and then spinkling chicken pellets..leave the on surface until you need to water next time.
I had several pot crops that were in 'stand still'..they didn't like the 'chippings' on so called compost.
TeeGee..no you are not cynical..this year I've started to add BFB in compost rutinely...and generally haven't had problems with the cheap stuff..HOWEVER..only couple of weeks ago I potted up some kale plants and didn't add any extra fertilizer like I've done all summer..and these plants just won't grow..they are spindly weaklings.. >:(
So I do suspect there is some truth in your thought. I know my plants will be ok eventually once they get into ground and I'll give them 'belly full' of food..but still its annoying..

[meg_gordon]

 It has been a pretty cool and wet summer up here in Glasgow until very recently - will this be a major factor?  

Thirty miles to the west from you, wetandcold, I am also having real problems with my cucumbers - this time last year people were avoiding me as I was giving them away to anyone I knew (and some I didn't!) - I have had one this year, and two out of the three plants have stopped growing altogether.

Meg

[meg_gordon]

 It has been a pretty cool and wet summer up here in Glasgow until very recently - will this be a major factor?  

Thirty miles to the west from you, wetandcold, I am also having real problems with my cucumbers - this time last year people were avoiding me as I was giving cucumbers away to anyone I knew (and some I didn't!) - I have had one this year, and two out of the three plants have stopped growing altogether.

Meg

[tim]

The first.

[Debs]

Soooo jealous - Tim  ;D

My aubs are not doing too well but I shall be closing windows & door on g'house in the evening

from now, as I haven't been doing so - someone (goodlife?) mentioned they don't like cool nights

Debs

[knottygal]

I am in Manchester, have 4 Beth Alpha cucumbers planted directly in the borders of my polytunnel and have lovely mini cucumbers coming out of my ears, taking easily 12 - 16 a week off the 4 plants  :D They are fed alternatively with comfrey liquid from my homemade press and tomato food every 4 days.
My aubergines on the other hand are refusing to set fruit :-[ I do shut the tunnel up each night though as I was warned they sulk if the night time temps drop too much. I have left a couple of the plants to Mother Nature to sort out and have duly tickled a couple of others with a little brush in hope of getting some pollinated but alas, no sign yet..
As far as the commercial composts go, I agree that the amount of nutrients in them has dropped considerably, instead of waiting 6 weeks or so to begin supplementary feeding I find there are barely enough nutrients for a fortnight...all our local councils green and wood waste have entered the commercial compost chain in the last couple of years and I feel this has reduced the quality considerably...as my sack of woody matter (some painted :o) and other such rubbish that I have riddled out of it will testify. I am also convinced I have had aminopyralid contamination in the last 12 months from commercial compost and others on our site have reached the same conclusion.
As a result I have been composting like fury everything that I can get my hands on, have me a couple of cubic metres of black gold almost ready to go ;D I love composting, it is like magic! Can't believe the number of plot holders I see carting all their weeds off to the local tip :o
What is the woody stem we can see in your first pic wetandcold, is this merely for the cukes to climb or is it a growing plant?

[vitruvius8]

Our cucumbers started off very badly but are now showing signs of sucess, in fact we have lots !!!. the Aubergines have done well from day 1, but the greenhouse ones have done so much better than the polytunnel !! :)