HELP!!!
I don’t pigging believe it – the cucumber plants I’m growing in pots are dying…
The picture below, taken in July 2012, shows a healthy cucumber plant.
However, by August brown spots had appeared on the plant and the baby cucumbers failed to develop. A little research revealed the problem could either be caused by a fungus called Anthracnose or Downy Mildew. Or could it be something else?
And to top it off I then discovered another cucumber plant has white mold growing on the stems. I wonder if it is Sclerotinia Stem Rot?
The baby cucumber plants I’m bringing on to provide Autumn cucumbers are also affected. So I need to find a cure…urgently!
I’m now off to search for, and trial some natural recipes – baking powder and milk seem popular ingredients – I hope they work!
If you have any suggestions re. diagnosis and/or natural cures please, PLEASE share in the comments section below.
Piglet's Plot in Portugal 
I have had luck with keeping downy mildew at bay with a 50/50 milk/water solution. I just put in in a spray bottle and apply to the leaves. I cut off the ones that are too far gone. Good luck!
Hi and thank you so much!
A lot of times things like powdery mildew are caused from cool weather and too much water or it could be exact opposite and not enough water, I know it doesn’t make any sense at all. Feeding the plants may help and take the really crappy leaves off and throw them in the trash. Use whatever kind of biological fungicide you are able to buy there, if any…but try to be consistent with how wet the plant is and water in the morning if you can…I have had a hell of a time with my Zucchini’s this year and usually I can’t give the beggers away…good luck!
Hey thanks RNP long time no speak! Thank you for the tip re. morning watering. I always water in the evening. I am trying the milk/water solution. Fingers crossed. Shame about your Zucchini, I wonder why?
I am an inconsistent waterer… 🙂
Sometime the hardest part of growing veg & fruit is identifying the correct disease/bug to treat. Fortunately my cucumbers were disease free (I only grew them one year) so can’t offer any advice. Hope you find a solution for the next batch. Cath
Sometimes the hardest part of growing veg & fruit is identifying the correct disease/bug to treat. Fortunately my cucumbers were disease free (I only grew them one year) so can’t offer any advice. Hope you find a solution for the next batch. Cath
how did you go? my cucumbers are dieing and i have no idea as to why either.
Hi, did you ever come to a conclusion? How long did it take fir it to cover the dead stems in your photo. The leaf symptoms look like downy mildew
A.J, I still get the same problem with this. I think it is due to the high humidity and it is something I will need to live with. I now plant new cucumber plants every couple of months to ensure I always have an ongoing supply of cucumbers. So far so good. Because I grow these in pots I’ve moved them to a different location…and this latest batch sems better! What about you?
Sorry to hear that. In your photos it seems to attack dead and living tissue. Looks like an aggressive downy mildew. I suggest trying a systemic product like Plant Doctor. You can also try some beneficial microbes like trichoderma or streptomyces.
https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/soil-fungicides-disease-control
Hope that helps. Make sure not to use same pots or soil and disinfect tools. How long did it take to cover a stem like in your photo? Were the stems alive or dead before invaded?
I’ve spotted something in my soil but it appears to only grow on dead calluses at the base of stalk. Looks like mycorrhizae mycelium but hard to say. If it was pathogenic I’d think it would have spread on living tissue or killed plants by now.
https://pittmoss.com/blogs/the-pittmoss-blog/is-mold-in-your-soil-good-or-bad-lessons-in-soil-microbiology