August cucumbers blossom but few produce - Ask Extension
My cucumbers have slowly stopped producing fruit. Many blossoms. A few tiny fruits that turn yellow, wither and drop off. Is there anything I can ...
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August cucumbers blossom but few produce #768748
Asked August 23, 2021, 2:36 PM EDT
My cucumbers have slowly stopped producing fruit. Many blossoms. A few tiny fruits that turn yellow, wither and drop off. Is there anything I can do to rejuvenate production before fall?
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Your cucumber plants are probably responding to the heat waves that we been experiencing this summer. As the temperatures have moderated to the cooler side recently, hopefully you will see more fruit set. Some crops suffer pollen death with high temperatures. Cucumbers also switch to producing mostly male flowers when the temperatures get hot. In addition, pollinators necessary for cucumber fruit are inhibited by high temperatures. Sometime folks feel the need to fertilize more when plants exhibit heat stress, and over-fertilization can also decrease fruit production. So likely there isn't much that you can do expect to wait as we get cooler (but not cold nights) weather through the remainder of the season.
