[broken glass]

Can you "top up" the soil around cucumbers similar to the practice with tomatoes or does this cause the stem to rot?

[mumofstig]

Can you "top up" the soil around cucumbers similar to the practice with tomatoes or does this cause the stem to rot?

in my experience it does just that

[Salmo]

Cucumbers are very tempremental and will die if they can find a way. Best thing is not to mess them about. The harder you try the worst it get.

[gillian62]

I have one that is growing merrily on the windowsill with a lovely mini cucumber developing.  I really should put it in it's final place in the greenhouse, but don't want to lose the fruit that is developing well where it is.

[JayG]

I have one that is growing merrily on the windowsill with a lovely mini cucumber developing.  I really should put it in it's final place in the greenhouse, but don't want to lose the fruit that is developing well where it is.

Yes, I certainly know that feeling! 

My 2 cuke plants are on their second stay in the greenhouse now having only just survived the first; I picked off the first few young fruit as is sometimes recommended but there are a few more now. (I think some of their neuroses are starting to rub off on me!)    

[sachkrimbo]

I've planted out 3 in a grow bag, using the tomato technique 1 has died already.  The others are covered  with squash bottles at night and out during the day.  Fingers crossed.

[Springlands]

Four out of my five have died - all stem rot even though I was careful with the watering - and the fifth one does not look too healthy. Am starting again - this is the worst year that I have had for cukes dying at this early stage. 

[grumpyoldb]

I've struggled with them in the past so this year I have planted them on top off a little mound of earth in the hope that the water will drain away from the stem. I then water into a little moat that I created about 9" from the stem.

[LilacSandy]

I always plant a cut off plastic drinks bottle next to my cucumber and squashes and put the water and feed in that, the water goes straight to the roots and there is no water on the leaves.

[broken glass]

Thanks for the responses although they only confirmed my own thoughts about the suicide rates of cucumbers.

[stompy]

I planted a perfectly healthy pair of outdoor cucumbers (marketmore) in the greenhouse and one has already died, it looks like stem rot as it came away from the rootball at the bottom.

The other one is going great though thank god, or that would be it  

I may sow another couple to produce towards the end of the year just in case the other one gives up for no apparent reason.  

[Trillium]

Cukes are thirsty plants but not when they're young. As pointed out, they're very susceptible to rotting from water. I always plant mine into a raised mound so the water runs away from the stems but can pool near the plant, much like the moat idea but never against the stems themselves. I also mulch due to my dry summers but I keep the mulch away from the stems so they have no excuse to die. When I water, I saturate the area so the roots go down rather than hover near the surface to dry out faster and cause more trouble.

I plant my seeds 3 to a pot, and I leave all 3 growing, just in case one has a death wish. This year I have 2 varieties of 3 plants each, and all are doing well. They've reached the stage where the stems aren't so weak and troublesome. Any day now the tendrils will be reaching for my munty frame.