Plant guide:ðĨ Cucumber
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Growth
Poor Pollination Reducing Cucumber Yield
Commonly affects: Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
Flowers form and open normally but fail to develop into fruit, or tiny fruit start forming and then yellow and shrivel within days.
Potential Causes
- 1Insufficient pollinator activity, especially in enclosed or urban growing areas
- 2Male flowers only appearing early in the season before female flowers develop
- 3Pesticide use during flowering reducing bee activity
Solution Steps
- 1Hand-pollinate by transferring pollen from male to female flowers with a small brush
- 2Be patient early in the season, since male flowers typically appear before female ones
- 3Avoid pesticide applications during flowering to protect pollinators
- 4Plant bee-friendly companion flowers nearby to attract more pollinators
Prevention Tip
Learning to identify male versus female cucumber flowers (females have a small swelling behind the petals) helps you know when hand-pollination is actually needed.
