Plant guide:ðĨ Cucumber
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Fungal
Fruit Rot on Cucumbers
Commonly affects: Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
A soft, water-soaked spot develops on fruit, usually where it contacts damp soil, expanding rapidly into a mushy, collapsing area.
Potential Causes
- 1Pythium or Phytophthora fungi infecting fruit in contact with wet soil
- 2Prolonged wet weather or overhead irrigation keeping fruit surfaces damp
- 3Poor air circulation around fruit resting on the ground
Solution Steps
- 1Trellis vines so fruit hangs off the ground rather than resting on wet soil
- 2Remove and destroy any fruit showing soft rot promptly
- 3Switch to base watering rather than overhead irrigation
- 4Improve drainage in the growing bed
Prevention Tip
Trellising cucumbers keeps fruit elevated and dry, preventing the large majority of fruit rot cases before they start.
