Your comments and tips

11 Aug 23, Ingrid (Australia - temperate climate)

Some websites suggest planting cucumber seeds directly into garden bed, other sites say start in trays. Which is correct ? Thank you.

Reply or Post a new comment

20 Aug 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Can do it both ways.

Reply or Post a new comment

09 Feb 23, Wayne (Australia - temperate climate)

Cucamelons in Adelaide: I’m having varied success with growing Cucamelons in Wicking Beds. The major issue is that the leaves turn yellow and then die. Samples taken to local nurseries have failed to identify the issue, with insect, disease or virus. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Reply or Post a new comment

13 Feb 23, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Was applying some trace elements this morning and it said lack of T E can cause yellowing of leaves. Also may be lack of N.

Reply or Post a new comment

25 Aug 23, Gary (Australia - temperate climate)

Wayne I use NatraMin and have been for years with reasonable results. Get on you tube and have a look at Amazing Garden about Cucumbers and Tomatoes this young fella knows all about what they need. I picked over 30 cucumbers last year. This year I'm making over 5 Barrell's of compost for all my Tubs. Also learning how to make leaf mold. Gary.

Reply or Post a new comment

09 Jan 22, Trina Richmond (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I live on the Gold Coast, and have been growing mad hatter capsicum successfully for about three years now, and grape/cherry tomatoes about the same but not very much fruit. This year I planted continental cucumbers. The plant grew very large in about two weeks, (5 foot+), and the leaves are huge, but I have only had 4 fruits and the leaves are being eaten so badly that they look like a very thin, worn out, see through piece of material. This past month for some reason every capsicum, yellow, green and mad hatter, all produced rotten fruit, and I ripped out the plants, except the cucumber. What has caused this? I may have over fertilised.. Also all plants are producing a lot of yellow leaves, especially the tomatoes.

Reply or Post a new comment

12 Jan 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

I forgot to mention: as part of my previous reply; that the insects are eating your plant because it is stressed. That is, insects USUALLY attack/eat plants that are NOT healthy..... plants that are deteriorating are easily digestible. It's part of the natural process; the insects help breakdown a plant that is dying, rather than the insects killing the plant. So focusing on the insects may again, be misleading. Clearly, if you're trying to save the plant, you will need to get rid of the insects....but in MOST cases the insects are not the root cause of your issue.

Reply or Post a new comment

17 Jan 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I generally have very healthy plants and I can tell you the insects don't wait until they are stressed. Recently very healthy egg plant and now the leaves have been decimated by something eating the leaves.

Reply or Post a new comment

14 Feb 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

I did say USUALLY -- that is to say: rabbits will go for your greenest crispiest leaves -- caterpillars tend to pick the best of the lot as well -- aphids are PLACED on healthy fava beans by ANTS (as a form of enslavement/hostage situation) to suck the sap and excrete honeydew ... and so on for many insects --- BUT what we have IN THIS situation is clearly STRESSED PLANTS -- and stressed plants will bring in the decomposers -- that is the natural cycle- so focusing on which decomposers you have is really not going to solve the problem here.......... this is my best guess -- the plants where stressed and failed to perform first, and then the decomposers came in.... judging by the description of the problem.

Reply or Post a new comment

12 Jan 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

Have you had a lot of humidity (higher than usual) lately ? If so, your plants may be having a hard time transpiring. Transpiration is the process of releasing moisture (like sweating and evaporation rolled into one). Plants suck up water through their roots and move the water up through their stems and into their leaves, where they release the water (transpiration). Only about 5-10% of the water they intake is used for growth - the rest is released into the environment. The movement of water facilitates the movement of nutrients. So if the movement of water is SLOWED due to really high humidity (and this mostly happens in greenhouses when they are not properly ventilated) plants start to show signs of nutrient deficiencies of all kinds (maybe blossom end rot in tomatoes despite having plenty of bio-available calcium in the soil). That is to say; you could have a lot of misleading signs like: blossom end rot, or nitrogen deficiency (honestly I'm not sure which nutrients need the most water to be moved).....but the take away is the signs could be really confusing, and appear totally illogical. This only happens in high humidity situations; again like an improperly vented greenhouse, or if somehow you have managed to trap the humidity in your space...... this is a long shot.....but I lived on the Gold Coast (Broad Beach area) 30+ years ago...... and I still remember how humid it could get... especially further North. Clearly, some plants are better at moving the water in high humidity situations....tomatoes tend to have difficulty in very high humidity. Ensuring proper air flow may be helpful.

Reply or Post a new comment