Cucumbers

Can anyone help with my cucumber problem?  I planted 5 seeds which all took and up to last weekend had lovely plants (4-5 inches high) but suddenly overnight the leaves wilted and the plants are dying.  I haven't kept them too dry or watered them too much and they are all in good light.  What's happened to them?

exactly the same thing happened to mine, they just keeled over. I have grown cucumbers before but not had this problem. can they be saved?

Sound's like they got cold

Thanks Ceris - I'll sow more seeds this weekend!!

I'm having a similar issue, see photo below, plants been fine till now, left one looking wilted all of a sudden, right one looking a bit better, though surpirsed it's flowering already:

My seedlings were only 3inches high but suddenly the stems started to wither nearest the soil and now they look dead, only 2 out of 5 surviving. I assumed I'd watered them too much. I'm gutted as my hubby started off some outdoor ones the same day, on the same windowsill, and we were having a competition. It's only my indoor ones that have been struck!

Cucumbers hate to have cold and wet feet. We have all been guilty of sowing too early for them. Unless you have a consistently warm, humid environment why risk it until the weather warms up(hopefully) next month or so? They will grow fast enough when you do. 

3 of the 4 I had in my greenhouse have now died - it was probably the frost 2-3 weeks ago. I resorted to buying a plant from the local garden centre yesterday.

They were possibly male plants Joy S, thats why they were bitter. After several dissapointments I now resort to buying plants from my local nursery labeled 'Fem 1'.

They are all female so no messing about, - just resist getting one just yet as the weather is still too cold, unless you have constant heat in your greenhouse,- as they are so sensitive to cold. I also protect it from nursery to green house as this can also shock it.  I usually get a crop of 40+ long straight crisp cucumbers per  plant. I've spent the cold, wet and windy past few days getting my cucumber plant bed ready in the green house by digging in some well rotted stable manure and giving it a good drink untill the weather warms up a bit, (then i'll race out and get it!), so the soil should be warm and not too wet.  will try and get some photo's this year and post them. Good luck

What do you think is the minimum temperature for the greenhouse ?? I have 4 cucumbers minimum height 14 inches and well in flower/small cucumbers. My OH is decorating our garden room where I had them, so I've had to put them in my greenhouse today. Our garden room had a minimum temp. of 16c - will the greenhouse be too cold for them ?? I'm worried

What would the overnight temp be in the greenhouse? The answer might be greenhouse during the day, somewhere inside and better protected overnight.

Ive only just planted mine....That may help.I never go by the packet i just go by the weather conditions....

reading all these posts.. i now understand why ours went pete tong last year.. so havent bothered this year.. but reading that they are bit fussy.. might start sowing this week end and keep in doors.

ceris has given you most of the advce which I 'd have given. At the momant my cucumbers are in the greenhouse around 7 ins high and doing very well . I have them in a pot , I then place them in a long polythene bag  . ( I find  hovis bread wrappers great for this) I put 4 sticks into the pot  for supporting the polythene bag - so it doesnt  get on the plant. This protects it through  our unsettled weather conditions and cold nights. I leave this in place until june. I grow Melons too in this way, then like the cucumbers pot on to bigger pots when it warms up.They like the same humid conditions as cucumbers.  

My largest two cucumber have done this too. They grow well and every year they end up dying with 24 or 36 hours. My greenhouse is heated at night (we are in one of the coldest areas in the UK). Everything else seems to grow just fine. I think I'm overwatering? I've tried posting a picture but am not sure if this will work.

Cues don't like their stems being to wet. Vermisculite around the stem will help absorb any excess water but I also water mine from underneath, they are on a capillary matting in a gravel tray.

Hello,

I wonder if the type of Gro-bag makes any difference to the success / or failure. I purchased a "Peat Free" B&Q organic G.Bag & my plants did'nt take at all. In fact I have emptied the whole contents of the black and sharp shards contained within - recycled Bark !! - onto my compost heap. Any comments ?