skip to main content

Square Foot Gardening

Problems with cukes & melon vines

14 years ago

Hey Everyone -

I haven't posted in a while, but I've still been checking in and reading. I'm hoping someone can help me identify what is going on with my cucumbers and watermelon vines. My cucumbers were covered in blooms, and I've harvested 4 cucumbers to date, then the blossoms and tendrils started shriveling up. The vines themselves look green and healthy, but I haven't seen a bloom in at least a week, although there is new growth starting on one of the vines.

One of my watermelon vines has started having blossoms die too. Although I've only seen the problem with a few blooms. The rest of the vine looks healthy and has lots of blooms, and there are 2 good size watermelons growing (see last pic).

The boxes are filled with Mel's mix. I've used a fertilizer once a month. I water every other morning, and up until now, I've not really had any problems except dealing with aphids on my peas and flea beetles on one of my tomato plants, both which I think have been remedied. I'm posting pictures below. If anyone has an idea of what's going on, I'd love to have your input.

Thanks,

Kym

Cucumber 1:

From garden pests

Cucumber 2:

From garden pests

Watermelon 1:

From garden pests

Watermelon 2:

From garden pests

Watermelon 3:

From garden pests

Watermelon 4:

From garden pests

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

ribbit32004
14 years ago
Hey there, girlie!!! How's it going across town. We're having the same thing as you are so it's not localized to you. I'm half thinking it's the heat. All of my cucumbers looked like this last year. I started late and they never produced.

This is right about the same time. I don't have many new things growing and the old are slow and sometimes bitter. I honestly think we're winding down for the summer where everyone else is just gearing up.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Corner Yard
engineeredgarden
14 years ago
In the watermelon pictures that show brownish growth on the stem end - that's where a male flower has died. No problem at all.

EG
Related Discussions
Melon & cuke runners on top of plastic
Q
Comments (5)
Wayne: I've got the seeded Star Brite, Long Crimson, and Peddler. Seedless include Sweet Slice, Orange Crisp, Cut Master ESL, Trillion, Super Seedless 7167, Crispy Red, SX7405, Cooperstown, and Pasha Red. Once again Star Brite is the clear leader. It way outgrew all the others and is the only one ripening fruit at this point. Harvested one today at 42 lbs and have a bigger one coming soon. Brix has been very good at about 13.5-14. I'll post pictures and a brix reading on the biggest one when it ripens. They are actually bordering on too sweet this year. And SB has good texture plus not too seedy. Not sure why I keep planting anything else when Star Brite works so well for me. I've gotten the water and fertilizer just right this year for high yields and great quality.
...See More
Prune Melons/Cukes?
Q
Comments (8)
I'd like to keep open this discussion however to oppose the nays : I read too that you should prune melons somewhat after the second shoot since that stimulate the side shoots and it is on the side shoots that the melons will grow. Maybe I will do an experiment this season to try both : I am planning to put them up a low gardening fence - I recuperated those from friends and I going to put them on the short side of my gardening beds, with one melon (and on some fences it will be cucumbers) starting from each side, led over the fence - maybe pruned on one side and unpruned on the other
...See More
Did anyone try raising squash/melons/cukes under row covers?
Q
Comments (3)
I do raise melons under cover and have used the netting on pumkins/ squash when young to protect from the squash bugs. I don't use the remay or other floating row cover, it is too hot down here and as you mentioned the plants don't do well due to lack of circulation. I use insect netting that is designed for outdoor use (UV protected) and designed for use on pollination cages. I have used it on a small scale in the past and this year I am using it on a much larger scale. The netting is very durable allows good air circulation, and good sun penitration. I am using it on beans and limas, field peas, and watermelons right now. ON the watermelons I planted the first patch 6weeks before the second patch. This allow the bees to pollinate the first and st a good crop of melons. When the secound patch started to bloom and the first female blooms set fruit, I removed all the fruit then covered the first patch with the netting. This allows the bees to pollinate the second patch. I have had the first patch covered for three weeks now and I have some ripe melons under the cover so no ill effects by covering and the melons have ripened. The second patch has lots of pollinated fruit. In another week I will remove the cover on the first patch. I have all the melons on the second patch marked and any that pollinate after the cover is removed on the first patch will not be used for seed only the marked ones. This can be done with squash also. Plant two rows with on variety of each family on each row.ie one pepo one mushata etc in each row. Alternatly cover one row on day in the evening. then switch to the next the next day or in a couple of days.This allows bees to pollinate mark each fruit as it developes when a good crop is set remove all covers. I use ribbin at the base and one of those little survy flags that the utility companies use to mark underground lines. Melons under cover. Patch on right covered on left open inside one of the covers over limas
...See More
Cukes and Melons '09
Q
Comments (14)
A couple of years ago (and prior), we had good cuke-growing weather thru the season(s). With the right conditions, cucumbers are easy to grow and those vines can be very, very productive. Off we'd go with coolers full of cukes to the farmers' market. We had one customer who would come just about every marketday to buy lemon cukes - only lemon cukes and a dozen at a time. We liked this guy and he liked our lemon cukes. Taste is subjective. I'm trying those Poona Kheera cukes this year. I hate the looks of them but I'll get past that distaste for the brown skin if what's inside is worth eating. It will be a new experience. My suggestion is to not deny yourself any experience with veggies. I really wanted to try Diva (a hoity-toity Beit Alpha type) last year. Well, try it I did. I had one cuke out of the hill of 3 puny plants. No cukes did well in "Melon Killer 'o8" but that was a disappointment. Lemon cukes can quickly get past prime condition. My policy is that if it looks like a lemon - throw it away. Just before . . . just that first hint of yellow, that's the moment to harvest. I once had a garden in a vacant lot across the alley from my home at the time. The owner lived in another town but I tracked him down thru the courthouse and telephone book. It was awfully easy to go out my backgate, run a hose across the alley, and care for that garden. There were some piles of dirt where a dozer had (almost) leveled the lot and an apricot tree. I turned most of the lot into a nice garden, made apricot jam and sent the owner 2 pints every year we were there. d'S'
...See More
daves_girl
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Ribbit and EG. I was trying not to freak out :) I've kept a close eye on everything, and I've been really fortunate as far as pests go (so far), and I've had some type of harvest of everything that has been planted - beginners luck ;) My dh even ate green beans from the garden!! I've had a great time with it so far, and can't wait till it cools down and I can plant for the fall!! I'm looking forward to harvesting corn, watermelon and cantaloupe soon!
stephanieftx
14 years ago
I was going to say that's what my dead watermelon flowers look like after a couple of days, especially those little girls who didn't get pollinated. No worries on that! Can't help with the cukes, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Haphazard Gardener
jengc
14 years ago
Daves_girl, mine are doing that now. I thought "that is the males dying. I know that because it was asked on Garden Web!" No, this is not a commercial for garden web.com LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Jen's Victory Garden Blog
susancol
14 years ago
Hey,

I'm in the neighborhood too, but don't have this problem. That's because my garden is in partial shade, so everything takes longer for me. I've been soooo jealous of Ribbit this month. But now I'm finally starting to catch up. I even had enough eggplant to give away some this week. Woohoo!

I'd agree that the really high temps we've had the last couple of weeks have been frying your blossoms quicker than normal. But we have some relief in the forecast for next week, so I'd expect your problem will work itself out. Although for your watermelon, 2 large ones growing may be all that one vine can handle until you pick one.
Hang in there and feel free to gloat that I'm jealous of your two watermelons, too. :)
ribbit32004
14 years ago
Don't be jealous! Just plant more :)

Actually, I was worried about only getting 4.5-5 hours of sun, but it seems to work well in this ridiculous heat. Things are winding down for me and most of my vines are dying back. I'll be jealous of you in a few weeks while I'm biding my time for fall planting!
daves_girl
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm waiting for fall planting too Ribbit. Not patiently, but I'm waiting...
ribbit32004
14 years ago
daves_girl, things are REALLY starting to die back over here. My cukes are dead half way up the vine and not putting out more flowers, I've ripped out my bush cukes and beans, my pole beans are done for, two zucchini plants have no new shoots and my melon leaves are browning before their production is complete which has me nervous.

Yes, we get to start early here in GA, but we end early with this stinkin' heat as well. I'm nostalgic already, and the season's not done.

Quietly, so the garden won't hear...this won't be such a bad thing if most is done by the end of July. We leave town for a week the last week in July. If most of the summer garden is done, I won't feel guilty about leaving it. Shhhhh....The garden has ears.
daves_girl
Original Author
14 years ago
My next planting of bush beans is just starting to flower, so I'm hoping the heat won't kill them. The melon vines are still flowering like crazy, but the melons don't seem to be getting any bigger. My cukes attempt to grow blossoms, but they never mature and open, and the vines aren't getting any longer. My beefmaster tomato has been the most productive of the tomato plants. Both pepper plants had stopped blossoming, but have started again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my corn will be edible. The first crop has cobs, and some are very close to harvest time. I am soooo ready to try some.
nanhop1
8 years ago
glad I found this site my cukes are doing pretty good I have harvested about 14 from my one vine. although now the leaves are wilting and cuke grow slowing. melon vine is yellowing and wilting. I have seen a lot of squash bugs and suspect possible vine borers. just not sure

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Summer Crops: How to Grow Melons

By Marianne Lipanovich

Drink in the refreshing sweetness of melons from your own garden this summer — they can last well into fall too

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Watermelons

By Marianne Lipanovich

You might not need as much space as you think to get this summer mainstay to spring up in your garden

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

EDIBLE GARDENS Garden BFFs? Why Your Vegetables Are Begging for Companion Plants

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Foster friendships among plants for protection from pests, pollination support and color camaraderie

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Summer Crop ...

Get an edible that’s long on flavor even if you’re short on space, with a long-time gardener’s favorite picks

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Squash

By Marianne Lipanovich

Almost foolproof and with cheerful flowers, squash comes in a wide range of varieties to plant in spring

FARM YOUR YARD 9 Ways to Change Up Your Vegetable Garden for the Coming Season

By Annie Thornton

Try something new for edible plantings that are more productive than ever

EDIBLE GARDENS Houzz Call: What Did You Grow This Summer?

By Annie Thornton

Let’s celebrate the homegrown fruits and vegetables of the season. Post your pictures and tell us about your harvest

GARDENING GUIDES 15 Favorites for Your Summer Edible Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Get your summer garden off to a good start with these popular fruits and vegetables

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

Sponsored