Why Are My Garden Cucumbers Bitter?
Cucumbers are pleasantly crunchy, nutritious, and delicious. However, all of those goodness just goes out of the window whenever we bite into a particularly bitter piece. The bitterness is actually there for a legitimate reason. All cultivated cucumbers contain a compound called cucurbitacin. The bitter taste that this compound imparts helps stave off hungry animals who might want to munch on the plant, thus allowing it to live and survive longer.
For the most part, the cucurbitacin is concentrated around the leaves and stems of the plant. Since these parts aren’t what most people would eat, the presence of the compound isn’t usually considered as a big problem. Only when the compound makes it way to the fruit is when most cucumber eaters would detect the bitter taste.
Unfortunately, there is no way to tell visually whether a cucumber fruit will be bitter or not. There are, however, ways to ensure in the cultivation process that the cucurbitacin’s effects won’t be as potent on the fruit and lessen the chances of them getting bitter.
- Keep your plants properly hydrated Cucumbers tend to go bitter if they’re grown in hot, dry weather conditions. Here’s a simple test to see if your plants are getting watered enough: stick your finger into the soil near the root at a depth of around one inch. Take your finger out- if it’s moist then there’s no need to add additional moisture. If it’s dry, then the soil and the plant needs watering.
- Soil should be lean Cucumber plants need lots of nutrients to properly grow. Sometimes, bitter and bad-tasting cucumbers come from plants grown in malnourished soil. Make sure to use soil that is rich in organic matter and nutrients; if you must, you can use fertilizer or compost. Find out more about fertilizing your cucumbers in this post.
- Give plants space to grow Cucumbers are heavy feeders, and as such, they dislike having to compete with other plants for nutrients and water. Your plants should be at least 8 inches apart from one another at a minimum. Weeds also eat up much of the nutrients for your plants, so you should ensure that your growing area is weed-free. Check out our Best Way to Remove Weeds article for tips on keeping your garden weed-free.
One of the best things about growing your own vegetables is knowing that there will be a satisfying reward at the end of all your labor. Then after spending all that time watering and watching your plants bloom and fruit, you’re rewarded with… unappetizing looking yellow cucumbers- which means that all of your efforts have gone to waste.
Bad news is that there’s no remedy for yellowed cucumbers; once they’ve gone yellow, there’s no way to turn them back into a more acceptable shade of green. But the good news is that there are ways to prevent this from happening in the future.
First, you have to determine what variety of cucumber you’re actually planting. Some varieties are naturally yellow like the Lemon Cucumber, Chinese Yellow Cucumber, and the Dosakai Cucumber. These varieties will always be yellow no matter what you do, and despite their color, most of them will probably be non-bitter.
If you don’t have a yellow variety, then your cucumber plants can be turning yellow for a number of reasons. A major reason would be is that they are overripe and were left too long on the vine. This is why you should always keep an eye out on your fruits to prevent them from over-maturing.
The color of the fruit is also inextricably tied to the health of the plant itself. Weak plants that lack nutrients and water would produce weak-looking, yellowing fruits. Healthy plants that are grown on healthy, and well-watered soil would produce robust-looking, green ones. Keep your plants healthy and keep their moisture and nutrient levels always in check.
Why are My Cucumbers Turning Brown and Dying?
Cucumbers are pretty much a summer staple in the garden- they’re easy to grow and they provide a generous crop. But though they are easy to cultivate, they are prone to a lots of diseases and problems which can easily make them wilt, turn brown, or altogether die.
So if you see your cucumber plant’s leaves wilting or drying out, then preventive measures need to be done to avoid further damage. Here are some of the common reasons why your cucumbers are turning brown.
- Angular leaf spot: Angular leaf spot is a bacterial disease that can affect your cucumber plants during humid weather. It is named as such because the disease causes angular-shaped brown spots to appear on the plant (especially around the leaves) that can dry out and become brittle. The bacteria stays active in the soil for about two years; the best way to prevent this disease from infecting whatever you planted is to transplant your cucumbers into a new location in your garden every two years.
- Pest infestation: Pests and insects can cause immense damage to your plants. For example, squash vine borers chew through the stems of plants like melons, squash, and cucumbers to sustain themselves. Once they’ve reached their adult stage, the pests have chewed through so much plant material that they often kill the plant that they’re feasting on. Another type of insect pest called the squash bug pretty much operates in the same manner. A large number of them will gather on the stems and leaves consuming plant tissue along the way. You can handpick these pests and insects if you see them on the plants, or use specially-formulated sprays and insecticide to kill them. For more information, check out our How to Stop Bugs Eating Your Vegetables article.
Similar to other common cucumber plant issues that we’ve outlined above, lack of nutrients and water can also cause plants to wilt and die.
Why Are My Cucumbers Curling?
Cucumbers, though they are easy to grow, are fickle plants. Sub-par growing conditions can easily have a negative effect on their growth, making their leaves turn brown or making the plants themselves wilt and die before their time. The fruits can even curl and get deformed for a lot of reasons; you might need to perform a little detective work to see what the root of the problem is.
Pollination issues can be a major cause why your cucumbers are curling. Cucumber pollen need warm, slightly humid weather conditions for them to pollinate completely. If the weather is too dry or there’s been a prolonged period of rain during the flowering season, the cucumber ovaries might not become fully pollinated which would then result into misshapen fruit.
Sometimes, newly-formed cucumbers will not grow straight if they’re sprawling on the ground. Other physical objects can also interfere with the cucumbers’ growth. For example, if the young fruits catch on vines, leaves, and flower petals, they might grow around the obstacles which would result into the curled shape. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the fruits have lots of space for unimpeded growth. The plants can be placed on a trellis, which would allow them more space to spread out and lower chances for having a physical barrier impede the fruits’ growth.
In some cases, pets and insects that suck sap from the plant interfere with their growth. Whiteflies, mites, aphids, and mealybugs are some of the more notorious bugs that feed on sap from cucumber plants. You can get rid of these pests through the application of neem oil or insecticide on a weekly basis.
How Do You Revive a Dying Cucumber Plant?
If you see your cucumber plants drooping and dying, don’t fret. While damage from some pests and diseases are irreversible, not all of them mean certain death for your plants. There are various ways in which you can revitalize them and make them flourish once more.
If your plants’ leaves seem to be drooping at all times and look like they’re dying, this can be a sign that they’re suffering from a disease called bacterial wilt. It’s pretty normal for cucumber plants to wilt during the day and then perk back up during the night, but if the plant stays wilted then it’s probably infected. The best thing to do here is to cut it off to avoid infecting other plants.
Another reason why your cucumber plants’ leaves are drooping is due to moisture issues. Though plants may wilt due to a lack of moisture (pro-tip: stick your hand into the soil, if it’s moist then you’re good, if it’s dry, then the soil needs to be watered), it can also wilt due to an overabundance of water. Make sure that there’s proper drainage in and around your plants. If the roots are sitting in water for too long it can make the leaves droop. It’s all about balance when it comes to watering your plants- but under and overwatering them can do them damage.
Lack of sunlight is also another culprit. This is one of the reasons why it’s recommended to grow cucumbers in the summer where sunlight is plentiful. A cucumber plant would need at least eight hours of sunlight everyday for it to flourish. Make sure that your plants get at least that minimum amount of sunlight. If your garden doesn’t get at least eight hours of sunlight, check out this article for other vegetables you can grow instead!
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