Looking after some abandoned cucumbers... need help!

A friend planted some vegetable seeds end March, and then was going away for a few days in April. Would I look after them for her whilst she was away? No problems, after all, the pressure for space before plants can safely go outside is in May- April isn't too bad! I squeezed them onto the table under the dormer windows, alongside my toms, chillies, lettuce, peppers, and later, courgettes....

Ok, so she went away, came back, went away again, came back again... I had the plants for longer than I was expecting, but managed. The tomatoes were getting pretty desperate to be potted on, the courgettes were starting to sulk, but were ok. The cucumbers had grown quite spindly (in 3/4 full 3/4 pots, about 4" across), but were starting to trail all over the place.

These plants are for a mutual friend to grow in the open...

I won't go into the ins and outs, but I seem to be lumbered with these plants until end May.

I've potted on the toms, topped up the soil in the cucumbers and courgettes. My chillies will have to stay in their current pots for longer than I hoped. Do I need to pinch out the tips of the cucumbers? Each trailing stem is currently wrapped up, then back down, a cane, to stop them tangling up too much....

 

Well, if you are stuck for space I'd tend to feed rather than re pot.

Maybe they should actually be hardening off a bit by now if they are intended for outdoor growth.

 

I know, @pete but the tomatoes were in tiny pots, I'm talking small yoghurt pots, half full, four to a cottage cheese-sized pot....
The compost was also rather strange, and did not hold water well. I'm hoping that a slight top-up of normal compost will enable them to hold water.

I will start to harden them off, but I'm short of hardening-off space too. I have one medium sized cloche, and two small cloches.... We've got a frost forecast for tonight, but maybe later this week if it warms up a little.

 

I agree totally, @JWK I didn't sow my own tomatoes for another three weeks, and courgettes even longer! My tomatoes are compact, and happy to shelter inside for another few weeks.

When I grew cucumbers, they didn't go leggy like this. But then I didn't sow so early. However, I have given them as much light as possible. It doesn't help not knowing what type of cucumber they are!!