Cukes and the Mildew Monster
Forum Archives
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Sep-08-2004 at 8:09am
OK.....my cukes have it.........that dreaded powdery mildew! Anyone else experiencing this too this early in the year???? Any hope for them?
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Sep-10-2004 at 2:59pm
Hmm... my heirloom zucchini have it pretty bad, but the cukes are mildew free. I'm growing Marketmore 76 - what variety do you have?
Travis
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Sep-13-2004 at 10:12am
hey trav.. i am also growing marketmore cukes.. and they are covered in mildew also. bummer for sure.. i am still getting cukes but everything is covered.
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Sep-14-2004 at 7:44am
same here....marketmores and lemons.......both have it, but the lemons seem to be fighting a lil bit harder.
Also, an update on my cantaloupes......Hales Best was a BUST! Tons of beautiful foliage and hundreds of blooms...even a few 1" fruits...then the rains came and they all fell off the vines. LOL..Oh well.....will try some TSC or Stokes varieties next year.
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Sep-14-2004 at 8:18am I don't think any of the Marketmore's are known for mildew resistance; but I am curious which one you ladies are growing. I've trialed the newer versions, but I still prefer Marketmore 76. It has a more vigorous vining habit - a lot of people don't like that, but I personally think it helps the plant stay productive when mildew starts to hit! But also I thought the 76 had a better flavor.
As an aside - I don't really know if the various Marketmores are actually related! Well, other than they're all being cukes, of course. A lot of times new varieties get named based on marketing appeal rather than actual lineage (a good example of this was with Simpson Elite lettuce, which was not developed from Black Seeded Simpson).
growsherown - it's certainly cool enough, so have you considered spraying with wettable sulfur?
Travis
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Sep-14-2004 at 9:58am
I have never used wettable sulphur before..but I will look into it. Upon further digging back into my seed journal, it is marketmore76. Altho they are mildew ridden, the vines are still producing....all over the yard..(LOL), and the cukes dont seem to be affected at all. Some of the vines are at least 12 feet long..and the lemons are even longer!
Screaming Eagle
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Sep-14-2004 at 11:42am
I grew the lemons this year for the first time. Since I tend to mix my veggies in with ornamentals, it took over a little too much! But, I'd like to ask at what point you folks pick yours. I've noticed if I wait until they are yellow, then the seeds have developed quite a bit, but if picked earlier then there aren't so many seeds.
Thanks, Theresa
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Sep-14-2004 at 5:10pm
Lemon cukes are a variety I always intend to try - but I still haven't. I believe the advice is to pick them small, though, for best quality.
Hey isn't it just a little bit fun, discovering just how far some of your vines have grown? It always makes me smile to find that somehow one of the pumpkins has snuck into the tomato patch unnoticed, or that the cukes have completely left the garden and are in the grass (usually discovered at dusk when I've run out there in my bare feet).
Travis
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Sep-15-2004 at 4:47pm
I secretly smile when I see the mildew--that means I can stop harvesting, canning and begging for others to help themselves to produce, and start winterizing! I usually grow SMR 58, for pickling, but this year tried Homemade pickles instead. They are bigger around than SMR. In another flower seed order, they sent a freebee--Tasty King--Huge, long cucumber, I picked a bunch of 8 inch long thumb sized ones and tried them for Half-sours, Not firm enough, but fine for slicing.
For years I have trained the cucumbers up a rack and enjoy picking them off the rack instead of off the ground, which helps keeps them in attractive shape and helps them from straying into the tomatoes! My main complaint is that now that there are only two of us to eat them, I still keep planting for four!
Carol
Screaming Eagle
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Sep-16-2004 at 12:54pm
I haven't done many veggies and only do them somewhat casually but I have loved the lemon cukes Trav. I can't believe how productive the one vine has been and how big!
We were measuring for a while the weekly growth of the pumpkin vine down the driveway with my kids.
I'm also getting a little burned out CJ, although to hard core veggie growers I'm sure I sound like a heretic! I have a hard time keeping up and feel guilty when stuff ends up in the worm bin or compost pile. Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower...
-Hans Christian Anderson
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Sep-17-2004 at 10:01am
LOL! Foolishly, I planted 4 marketmores and 2 lemons........those beasts have completely taken over! And I too am a bit gratefull to see the mildew, all the rain, and things slowing down a bit in the harvesting. Even tho the mildew is really knocking out the marketmores, they are still growing and ripening on the vines..yay! As far as when to pick the lemons...early is best......about 3" in diameter is tasty. They do have a better flavor is allowed to yellow, but there are alot more seeds that way.
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Sep-17-2004 at 10:40am
CJ, If you have the energy to keep them picked, you might think about donating extras to a local food bank. I always think anytime I can give good nutritious food for those in need instead of non-nutritious canned food, that is a plus in my book.
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Sep-18-2004 at 8:29pm
I have mildew only on the zuke!!!
Those yellow cukes are wayyyyyyyyyy to much. I was told not to plant too many zuke plants casue they would take over (this by someone that is 10 yrs younger and has not gardened in a few years). He actually laughed at me for planting more then one plant. I have two and they are covered with the mildew plus they had aphids so bad that they were half deal already so I did not get a bumper crop of zukes. But those yellow cukes are doing just fine and taking over the garden. I pick them at almost all stages and have eaten them with and without the skins. How about you all?
Isn't it funny how people that do not know what those yellows are react to them?
~BakingBarb
Screaming Eagle
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Sep-20-2004 at 10:17am
I eat them with the skin on too BakingBarb. I've brought them to work and had to put a sign up so folks knew what they were. Even sliced a few so they could "test" them.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton