Cucumber Wilt:: Now the Clean up begins

Hi again folks, I just had an idea. Maybe when I lay the concrete I can create a kinda lip around the edges(maybe 2 inches). I could then fill it up with gravel or something and just add water from time to time making, in effect, a shallow pool. Any thoughts? Cheers...freddy.

 

Hi Freddy
Your idea regarding a lip and gravel could work quite well. You'll have to then regulate humidity through ventilation and the amount of standing water. If you have too much moisture you risk botrytis (grey mould). It's a tricky balance particularly if you are growing other crops too.

My cucs are grown in bottomless small pots that are half sunk into big pots that stand in trays. The little pots help prevent the base of the plants becoming too damp and rotting and the trays are used for watering (I feed at the top).
I try to keep humidity up by watering the concrete floor and brick walls and misting the plants.
This year two out of the three cucs in the GH were affected by botrytis and I resorted to spraying with a milk/water solution to help control it as there is now no chemical control available. The plants in our small polytunnel cropped much better and longer than those in the GH and I think that next year I'll only grow one plant in the GH.
Just this week ate our final polytunnel grown ridge cuc :( (Still got outdoor toms hanging ripening in the GH though! )

 

Hi Dave, my thoughts were that I could use growbags with bottomless pots pushed in and topped up with compost, that way the roots of the plants shouldn`t come into contact with the `pool`,or....do you have to pierce the bottom of growbags....I forget! Cheers...freddy.

 

I wouldn't pierce them freddy, but you'll need to take care that you don't over-water during cooler spells when the plants aren't drinking so much.

 

Hi Dave, seems like I`ve got this sussed Thanks very much for your help. Cheers...freddy.

 

HEY....I`m a `Gardener`!! :D

 

And I'm an "Expert", but don't you believe it

 

Freddy, I`ve been following this thread from the outset but have only just realised that you think cucumbers need a humid atmosphere. Actually it`s the exact opposite, cucumbers want a dry atmosphere, whereas tomatoes want it humid, that is why you should plant your tomatoes at the back of the greenhouse and the cucumbers near the door where the ventilation is better.

 

Hi David, I got to disagree about cucs wanting a dry atmosphere I've always worked on the "keep 'em humid theory". When I read your post I thought that perhaps I'd been getting it wrong, so have just checked my three main veg growing books and they all suggest maintaining high humidity.
I do think you have a point about growing near to the door with better ventilation. For years I've grown three plants in the GH - one near the door, one in the middle and one at the far end and I've noticed that the one near the door is usually less prone to botrytis than the others. High humidity also helps reduce the possibility of RSM, though as I've found to my cost it doesn't eliminate it!

Freddy - you've now got two opposing opinions, both from Davids and both from the celtic fringes. As I said in my post on 18th 'it's a tricky balance'. I think Tescos might be the safest bet for cucs :D :D

 

Dave, I may have to stand down here, I will let you know tomorrow. Have I been doing it wrong for all these years?

 

Hi again folks, nice banter . I was always under the impression that cuccumbers needed high humidity. I seem to remember reading that trying to grow both crops(Q`s & T`s)in the same g/house was not an easy task, hmmm....Tescos eh ? Cheers...freddy.