Picking fresh and ripe cucumbers from your own crop is quite a joyful feeling, especially when you have been taking care of the plant for months. However, this joy turns into grief in a matter of seconds when you see the cucumber plant that you have been nurturing for months, drooping and dying.
Contents
- Cucumber Plant Dying
- Reasons Behind Cucumber Plant Dying
- Pests Or Bacterias Infestation
- Lack Or Abundance Of Water
- Lack Of Sunlight
- Unsuitable Temperature
- What To Do?
- How to Keep the Cucumber Plant Alive?
- Changing Color
- Drooping
- FAQs
- Can a wilting cucumber plant be revived?
- What does an overwatered cucumber plant look like?
- Conclusion
Cucumber Plant Dying
Watching your beloved cucumber plant dying can be heartbreaking. What if I tell you there are few things that you can do to prevent that from happening? These few tips came to my aid and saved my cucumber plants. I hope they help you save yours too.
Reasons Behind Cucumber Plant Dying
You do not have to helplessly watch months of your hard work go down the drain when your cucumber plant starts dying. There are a few reasons behind a cucumber plant dying. If you can find out which reason is causing wilting of your plant, you may be able to revive the plant.
Pests Or Bacterias Infestation
The biggest enemies of every species from the plant kingdom are pests and bacterias. The first thing you need to do is find out whether any bacterias or pests have made themselves at home in your plant or not. The second step is to find out whether it is pests or bacterias so that you can give the required treatment.
Wilt bacterias can be identified if your cucumber plant has any striped or spotted beetles around it. These bacterias cause the leaves to wilt, turn brown and then slowly fall off from the plant. Some of the pests that start living in cucumber plants and hinder the plant's growth are cucumber beetles, whiteflies, aphids, and thrips. These pests can be seen on the leaves of the cucumber plant.
Lack Or Abundance Of Water
Water is highly essential for a cucumber plant to grow. However, you need to make a consistent and regular watering schedule to ensure that your plant gets the required amount of water. A schedule is needed so that the cucumber plant does not suffer from overwatering or underwatering. Both lack and abundance of water can cause the cucumber plant to droop and die.
Lack Of Sunlight
After water, sun exposure is the second thing that a cucumber plant needs to grow to its optimum size. A cucumber plant needs at least 8 hours of sunlight every day to grow and flourish. The lack of sun exposure can cause damage to cucumber plants. It can cause the leaves to droop, and the plant will eventually die.
Unsuitable Temperature
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that cucumber plants need warm temperatures to survive and bear fruit. They are not a winter plant; the ground needs to be at least 70°F for a cucumber plant to grow to its full size. Hence cold temperatures can cause irreversible damage to your cucumber plant.
What To Do?
If you notice your cucumber plant dying, you first need to find out what is causing the plant to die. This step is highly crucial as you can not treat your plant if you do not know the reason behind its demise. Check the leaves of your plant and the ground around it for any pests or bacterias. Check whether the plant is getting the required amount of sunlight or not.
How to Keep the Cucumber Plant Alive?
Once you have narrowed down the cause of your cucumber plant dying, there are a few things that you can do to bring your plant back to life. If any pests are spotted over or near the plant, use pesticides to keep them away from your crop. Make sure there are no weeds around your plant. Keep the surroundings of your crop clean, get rid of garden debris.
If the reason behind the death of your plant is inconsistent watering, then make a proper watering schedule and stick to it. Do not overwater or underwater your cucumber plant. In addition to that, from my personal experience, watering the plants early in the morning is more beneficial for them. Move the plant to a spot in your house that gets maximum sunlight. The last thing is to trellis your cucumber plant. Trellising will keep the crop off the ground and into the air, reducing the chances of pests' attacks and improving air circulation.
Changing Color
The leaves of a cucumber plant often change their color to yellow when they are not getting enough water. Watering the plant irregularly can cause the leaves to change their color and turn to a pale yellow or brown from fresh green. Lack of sunlight can also cause changes in color, so make sure your plant is getting 8 or more hours of sunlight every day.
Drooping
The main reason behind cucumber leaves drooping is saturated soil. As much as a cucumber plant needs water, proper drainage of that water is also essential. When the plant's roots are sitting in pools of water, it causes the leaves to droop. Moreover, drying winds can cause the plant to quickly lose all of its moisture, hence drooping the leaves. So, in high heat or drying winds, make sure to water the plant more frequently.
FAQs
Can a wilting cucumber plant be revived?
What does an overwatered cucumber plant look like?
Conclusion
It can be heartbreaking to see the cucumber plant that you have been nurturing slowly dying. There are a few tips that came to my rescue when my crop started dying. I have shared all those tips in this article, and I hope they help you revive your cucumber plant.
