Q.
Hi, I have lots of flowers on my cucumbers but most of them don't set. The baby cucumbers just yellow and die off. Can it be fixed? Thanks, Kathryn.
A.
There could be several reasons for this. Only female flowers set fruit, so it depends if your flowers are female or male as to whether they set fruit. The flowers also require plenty of pollination from bees, so try attracting bees into your garden with bee friendly flowers to increase pollination. Inconsistent watering and the plants drying out can also cause fruit to drop. It can also happen when there is a sudden temperature change – from hot to cold. As cucumbers grow so quickly over a short period regular feeding with a specially blended fertiliser such as Tui Vegetable Food would be beneficial.
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Why are the flowers on my cucumber plant not producing? Comments
I have also had this problem but I found I had only male flowers and very few females. Why is that?
jill macfarlane
Is this the same for gherkins? I have lots of flowers but no gherkins.
Mary Ann
Is this the same with rock melon and water melon plants?
Lisa Watkins
Could this be why my zucchini aren't setting
Lesley Hogblom
Hi Jill, on cucumber plants the first 15-20 flowers are usually male, for every female flower which produce fruit there are 15-20 male flowers. There are also seed varieties that only produce female flowers, they produce more fruit, better fruit set and yields, the flowers still need bees to pollinate the female flowers with male flowers from other plants so planting more than one plant is advantageous. There are other factors that influence fruit set, wet weather at time of pollination as bees do not work in wet weather, irregular watering can cause cucumbers to yellow and die off, blossom end rot and sudden changes in temperature. Blossom end rot is caused by irregular watering but also a lack of magnesium and calcium – a side dressing of dolomite lime and mulching around plants will help with this. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Mary Ann, there are a number of factors that influence fruit set, wet weather at time of pollination as bees do not work in wet weather, irregular watering can cause them to yellow and die off, blossom end rot and sudden changes in temperature. Blossom end rot is caused by irregular watering but also a lack of magnesium and calcium – a side dressing of Tui Dolomite Lime and mulching around plants will help with this. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Lesley, there are a number of factors that influence fruit set, wet weather at time of pollination as bees do not work in wet weather, irregular watering can cause them to yellow and die off, blossom end rot and sudden changes in temperature. Blossom end rot is caused by irregular watering but also a lack of magnesium and calcium – a side dressing of Tui Dolomite Lime and mulching around plants will help with this. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Lisa, there are a number of factors that influence fruit set, wet weather at time of pollination as bees do not work in wet weather, irregular watering can cause them to yellow and die off, blossom end rot and sudden changes in temperature. Blossom end rot is caused by irregular watering but also a lack of magnesium and calcium – a side dressing of Tui Dolomite Lime and mulching around plants will help with this. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
I have same problem with cucumbers and squash but I think your information is the answer
Victor
Hi Victor, yes they are from the same family so it could be the same issue. Hand pollination is also an option if it is due to lack of pollination. Thanks ^Tui Team
jenna
why would healthy cuke plants suitably watered in good conditions stop producing?
Sarah R.
Hi Sarah, as soon as the weather cools down it triggers cucumbers to stop producing, they are short lived plants, so it is the end of the growing season as we head into winter. Thanks ^Tui Team
jenna