Homemade sprays when mixed or used incorrectly or as some sort of preventative when a problem doesn't even exist yet usually do more harm than good. And that is if they even work when there IS a problem. That is the case here. Baking soda and dish soap solution are 2 separate solutions used for different problems and have to be very carefully mixed in exactly the right proportions to avoid plant damage. You don't give the recipe you used so who knows if it is correct or not. Unfortunately too many folks think that because it is homemade it must be safe to use. Not true. And that if a little is good then a lot must be better. Also not true. Leave it alone and it will outgrow the damage done. Dave

Yes, direct seeding cucumbers, squash and beans are definitely the way to go! I've never planted a succession planting of cucumbers, but I've done it with green beans and zucchini and it's worked pretty well. I'd normally be putting those second plantings in right around now, so if you're thinking about it, go for it! There's a great book called "Golden Gate Gardening" by Pam Pierce. It's got several planting calendars depending on your microclimate here in the Bay Area, and I find them really helpful. It's the best gardening book I have. The first few years I had my garden in this house, I experimented with planting a bunch of different things at different times of the year. For example, I learned my spring broccoli and cabbage did really well, the fall ones were fails--too many bugs. I logged what I did and how well it worked (rather obsessively, I confess). I also tried planting lots of different vegetables. It took me 3 years of playing year-round before I came up with a pretty solid calendar and list of veggies that worked for me. Granted, you never stop experimenting when it comes to gardening. But those first years were really a free-for-all. Especially if you grow from seed, you have control over what you plant and when. And if you buy quality seeds (Johnny's is my favorite), a packet will last you several years. So that long-winded response was all to say go for it! That's the fun of gardening IMO, playing around with things. There is no failure, because you learn as much from the dead plants as you do the ones that thrive. Your cucumbers look good to me, so you're definitely doing something right!

I agree with Keriann. Yes, you should really let them dry out. Matter of fact, once my seedlings are as big as yours, I let them dry out pretty much all the way before I water again. You can tell they need watered when you pick up the flat and it feels light as a feather. Then after you water, it's much heavier. Your method of bottom watering is quite unique, I must say. I think that most folks bottom water the way I do, which is to say setting the cells or cups into a tray of water and letting the plant absorb as much as it wants until you see moisture on the surface of the soil (usually takes anywhere from 5-20 min). Now, I can't say for sure what positive or negative effects your method of watering might have, except that it sure sounds like a pain in the hiney to me, and I somehow doubt that the soil is getting properly saturated. You want to simulate mother nature; a soaking rain. Then you want to let the soil dry out. That's how it is in nature. Roots need water yes, because the plant needs water, but then they need to dry out and get oxygen. Damp soil all the time = no oxygen to the roots. Now, I can't say for certain what part of your program is causing your issues, but I would start bottom watering them as described by letting them absorb water sitting in a tray. I think you will find that using this method, you should only have to water every 3-4 days, or less. I would lay off the ferts for a while, and then make sure only to fertilize when the soil is already damp, or you will burn the roots. I just mix the fert with water, then pour into a tray and bottom water as usual. Give this a shot, see if that doesn't help.

You never want to let cukes dry out between waterings. At best you'll end up with very bitter cucumbers. Cukes require consistently moist, not wet but moist, soil. Did you harden them off well before moving them out to the garden? If not that would explain some of the damage as nothing can go straight from inside out to the garden without a gradual period of adjustment to full sun and wind first. So are these symptoms on all the leaves, even the new ones, or just the older leaves? Does it appear to be spreading up the plant? Does it rub off with your fingers? Is it more yellow than white or brown? If so then it is Downey Mildew as opposed to Powdery Mildew.