yellowing cuke plants

lzalvis 6/18/2014, 6:44 pm

This is my first time growing cukes, so I don't know what to expect. They're pickling cukes, even though we just eat them fresh Smile

. Anyway, the whole plants look kind of pale to me, and they're definitely yellowing from the bottom up. Also many of my cukes are misshapen. I've read it could be nutrient deficiencies, but this is brand new MM. I also read it could be over-watering - and I certainly have left the soaker hose on overnight more than once, so I could definitely be guilty of that. Ironically, I see yellow and think that they're too dry. Oh, and these beds are raised 3 feet off the ground.
Thoughts?

yellowing cuke plants Photo_11

floyd1440 6/18/2014, 7:16 pm

I had the sane problem last 2 years as they turned yellow and died in a couple of days. Some have said this could be remedied by planting in warmer weather but I "think" it is bacterial wilt. Let me know if the whole thing turns yellow and the leaves wilt up.

This year I am trying Country Fair" cukes which is supposed to be resistant to bacterial wilt.

lzalvis 6/18/2014, 7:36 pm

Well, this yellowing has been very gradual and going on for days-weeks. The plant is flowering well and lots of bees are setting plenty of fruit. I know my bean plants sometimes have the underleaves turn yellow and/or die but plant is fine.

I guess if it's wilt then there's nothing I can do. But I look forward to other less-terrible ideas from people Smile

**camprn** 6/18/2014, 8:25 pm

Looks from here like downy mildew. Remove and trash the affected leaves. The plant will make more leaves.

lzalvis 6/18/2014, 8:57 pm

Is there a spray or treatment I can do (or need to do) for downy mildew?

ETA: I just googled images for both bacterial wilt and downy mildew, and neither one seems to match up to my plants. It's not spotting, or black, or brown, or splotchy. It's like the leaves just fade their color - like someone hit 'desaturation' in photoshop Smile

**camprn** 6/18/2014, 9:39 pm

lzalvis wrote:Is there a spray or treatment I can do (or need to do) for downy mildew?

ETA: I just googled images for both bacterial wilt and downy mildew, and neither one seems to match up to my plants. It's not spotting, or black, or brown, or splotchy. It's like the leaves just fade their color - like someone hit 'desaturation' in photoshop

Are all these yellowing leaves older leaves.

lzalvis 6/18/2014, 9:50 pm

Yes, it's all the older leaves near the bottom of the plants. It's been going on very slowly, over weeks. They fade, fade, fade, and then some have been drying/dying. The rest of the plants seem to be fine, at the moment.

**camprn** 6/18/2014, 11:09 pm

Yes, then this is normal. The leaves are old and no longer able to photosynthesize. Just remove those leaves. All will be well, at least regarding this current mystery.

**sanderson** 6/19/2014, 12:48 am

Remember what 3 tools Mel said you need? Trowel, pencil and , and,

And . . :

Snip

lzalvis 6/19/2014, 7:10 pm

I just took another visit out there, and now I can see leaves about halfway up the plants have a white powdery substance on that I can actually brush off with my fingers (and comes off onto my black shirt). So is this downy mildew? Or powdery mildew? Is there a difference? What can I do, if anything, to save my baby plants. I had dreams of cukes all summer Sad

Did I do something wrong?

yellowing cuke plants Photo_14

**camprn** 6/19/2014, 9:36 pm

That's what I thought looked like downy mildew.

lzalvis 6/19/2014, 10:22 pm

I did a google search and there appears to be a difference between powdery mildew vs. downy mildew. Thus far, mine matches up with the powdery mildew. I found some youtube videos that discuss treating it with a baking soda + water spray, so that's what I did this evening. I will do it every few days and see if it's making a difference. I also snipped off the worst bottom leaves, but the mildew has definitely spread upwards.

mollyhespra 6/19/2014, 11:24 pm

When I get powdery mildew I use a milk spray diluted 1(milk):9(water). Works great. I used the baking soda spray last year on my cukes that had a different disease and *I* ended up killing the vines with my treatment. The baking soda dried up the leaves, it was just too harsh for the already-stressed plant. Worked OK on the early blight on my toms but not the cukes. Try the milk spray on the cukes every couple of days.

lzalvis 6/20/2014, 5:36 pm

Oh crud, I hope I didn't kill my cuke vines. If I didn't, I will try the milk trick. Does it matter what kind of milk it is - whole, skim, etc?

mollyhespra 6/20/2014, 6:23 pm

Don't panic! Baking soda spray is good stuff. Just observe and see what's up. I was just sharing what happened to *me*, with an alternate suggestion. As with everything, YMMV, so just pay attention to how your cukes are responding and take it from there.

As to what kind, I use whole milk in the hopes that the extra milkfat may help the solution cling to the leaves better, but that's just my reasoning.

Keep us posted & good luck! Very Happy

**camprn** 6/20/2014, 6:56 pm

Please translate YMMV.

**walshevak** 6/20/2014, 7:25 pm

I was forced to look it up. Your mileage may vary.

I had some milk that soured so I mixed in some water and poured it on the tomatoes. Just in case. Got some bottom leaves that don't look quite right.

Kay

lzalvis 6/20/2014, 7:51 pm

Mollyhespra - I'm using your little signature icon "Never Give UP" (the little guy beating his head against the wall). !! Thanks for the milk tips. I will observe things until Sunday and then do a milk spray. Gotta go to the store before then anyway.

mollyhespra 6/20/2014, 8:50 pm

LOL! Sorry about that. Walshevak got it right; YMMV="Your Mileage May Vary". happy2

Pollinator 6/21/2014, 7:11 am

lzalvis wrote:

This is definitely a pollination issue here, but it may be secondary.

The pointy end of the fruit resulted from no pollen being delivered to the area of the stigma that represented that part of the fruit. With no pollen, the seeds were not fertilized and the flesh of the fruit in that area will not grow.

However, it could be that the plant is so stressed by disease that its flowers are not attractive to bees. This flower got at least one visit, or you would not have a cuke at all, but you need 15-30 visits to deliver sufficient pollen.

66stitches 6/22/2014, 11:31 am

As a newbie I can't help much, but for my own growing research I came across this video on zucchini pollination that might be useful to you, if you sort out the mildew issue.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x1crwrsxj8

It shows how to do it yourself very clearly. Best of luck!

lzalvis 6/22/2014, 5:18 pm

Update: My plants did not burn with the baking soda spray, and I think there may have been a small improvement in the mildew. but I'm moving onto the milk spray, which I just did. How often can I do that? Atlanta'a humid, so this will be an ongoing issue.

thanks for the tips on the funny-shaped cukes. I have seen lots of bees. And I do see some that are growing more 'normally'. I wanted to get the mildew issue under control a little first. Then I'm going to give it some homemade worm compost tea to help with nutrients.

mollyhespra 6/22/2014, 5:39 pm

I think I sprayed every other day last year, but the year before that, I had one volunteer pumpkin growing out of the compost pile that got a BAD case of PM before I realized it, so in that case, I sprayed daily over & under all the leaves & stems. So, I guess the best dose schedule depends on the severity of the PM. I don't think it's possible to over-dose and harm the plant with the milk spray.

**sanderson** 6/22/2014, 6:54 pm

Especially if it's non-fat. I don't know how often you can spray a fat or oil on something. Neem I do no often than weekly, if needed. Milk 2 or 3 X a week. I don't know what I'm talking about Embarassed

yolos 6/22/2014, 9:30 pm

sanderson wrote: I don't know what I'm talking about

ROFL. I feel like that half the time I am trying to answer a question.

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Cuke UPdate - definitely a mildew!!

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