Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included

scbusf 7/22/2010, 3:14 pm

This is my first year doing any kind of gardening and I am SO frustrated. I've spent a LOT of time and money on this garden and I don't have much to show for it. I had bunnies or squirrels eating everything at first. My onions never grew. My lettuce never grew. My zucchini plant was taking over the world and crowding my tomatoes and now the zucchini plant broke off. So now I have NO zucchini and NO tomatoes. Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included Icon_sad

Anyway, my cucumber plants seem to be doing OK. I have them on a trellis. But now some leaves are starting to get little spots and holes on them. Any ideas what it is? What can I do about it? I don't see any bugs on them, maybe a few ants, but nothing else. I haven't used any fertilizer or anything else on them.

I'm using 6-inch deep boxes, with plywood bottoms, and Mel's Mix (only 3 types of compost, though).

Help!!!!!!!

Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included DSCN2609

Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included DSCN2609

Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included DSCN2608

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junequilt 7/22/2010, 5:38 pm

My experience with cucumbers is that they just get that way as the season progresses. If you can't see any pests on the leaves, you might try dusting with diatomaceous earth just in case flea beetles are the culprits.

L&K-IL 7/22/2010, 11:17 pm

you're not alone...mine are doing the same thing.
The cucumber leaves...just like leaves on everything else (as said above) just wear out....but faster than other plants...

you can see on mine the older leaves down low are wearing out a little. I try not to cut them for obvious reasons...
I have yanked a few really bad ones out.

Cucumber Plant Disease or Pests? Pics included 10_07_31

Nicola 7/28/2010, 11:04 pm

L&K-IL wrote:
you can see on mine the older leaves down low are wearing out a little. I try not to cut them for obvious reasons...
I have yanked a few really bad ones out.

I guess I'm still a bit new at gardening after all. I always want to pluck off yellow, shrivelled, bug-eaten, "bad" leaves. What is the reasoning behind not taking 'em off?

L&K-IL 7/28/2010, 11:35 pm

Nicola wrote:
L&K-IL wrote:
you can see on mine the older leaves down low are wearing out a little. I try not to cut them for obvious reasons...
I have yanked a few really bad ones out.
I guess I'm still a bit new at gardening after all. I always want to pluck off yellow, shrivelled, bug-eaten, "bad" leaves. What is the reasoning behind not taking 'em off?

I guess I always thought it was the plant's natural, adapted ability to shade its own fruit. Green beans do the same thing. You have to dig below the leaves for the reward.

but....this is my first year for SFG too....so I could be completely wrong.

sceleste54 7/28/2010, 11:37 pm

Looks like flea beetle damage to me.. Your leaves look just like my eggplant leaves and I know for sure thats what I have...

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