Hi Debbie,

Your cucumbers most definitely have a disease - that kind of scabbing on the fruit is not normal.  It looks very much like the anthracnose virus, although without seeing the whole plant and knowing how the leaves, and plant are affected it's possible it's another virus like cucumber mosaic or Rhizoctonia. this web page from Penn State has good photographs and descriptions so you can confirm my identification, it also provides guidance on prevention/management of disease.  If you are still uncertain about which disease after comparing to the photographs please take additional photos of the whole plant and send them in reply to this email.  Providing some detail about the time from blossoming to the appearance of the damage, and any other information about the plant health would be useful too.

Controlling diseases in cucumbers, and other vegetable, and flower crops can be managed by removing, and disposing of diseased plants (do not compost unless your pile gets to at least 130 degrees Farenheit for 72 hours or the virus, fungus or bacteria will not be destroyed).  At the end of the season remove all cucumber debris, and plant your cucumber plants in a different bed the following year. Rotation of crops is a good way to prevent viral, fungal, and bacterial diseases from establishing a long term residence in your garden.  It also helps to plant your cucumbers so that there is some air circulating between plants - this is important whether you plant bush, or vining cucumbers.

Cucumbers tend to pick up diseases when the weather is particularly humid. Curcubit downy mildew has also been reported in Ohio, this bulletin is for farmers, the information is also useful for the home grower.

This web post from Frankling County Ohio has has some good pictures of cucumber pests - some of which can spread disease, as well as weakening the plant so it is more susceptible to disease.  

This posting from the Piedmont Master Gardeners offers solid, general guidance for cultivating cucumbers which you might find helpful.

Hi Debbie,

On further research it looks like your cucumber is most likely damaged by the Scab Cladosponum cucumerinum.

If scabbing, and other marks are shallow, and there is no actual rotting of the vegetable or fruit you can cut off the damaged areas, and eat the rest.

As for composting - the guidance provided on composting diseased plant parts also applies to the fruit or vegetable; do not compost any part of the diseased plant unless your pile gets to at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit for 72 hours or the virus, fungus or bacteria will not be destroyed. If you have a vermicompost, or worm composting bin small amounts of possibly virally infected vegetables or fruit can be added without harming the worms. Large amounts should be disposed of in regular trash, or taken to a composting facility that can achieve the desired temperature to destroy the pathogens.

The amber seepage on the cucumber may be a sign of spoilage, or the cucumber trying to heal over an entry point of an insect bite. This would also apply to a peach or other fruit.

"Scab Cladosponum cucumerinum

Symptoms

The leaves exhibit small water-soaked or pale green spots which later turn white to gray and become angular. A yellowish halo may surround the lesion. The damaged leaves may appear ragged due to tearing and cracking of dead tissue. Symptoms can also be seen on petiole and stem. On fruits, the appearance of small, gray, slightly sunken, oozing, gummy spots which later enlarge, and finally become distinct sunken cavities. Under favorable condition, the pathogen produces dark, olive green, velvety layer of spores on the cavities.

Cause

Fungus

Comments

The pathogen overwinters on the seed, in crop debris and in soil.

Management

Remove and destroy the infected leaves and plant debris. Keep the field free from weeds. Use disease free seeds. Grow available resistant varieties. Follow crop rotation. Spray with suitable fungicides."

Kind Regards

Hi Debbie,

The leaves show a small amount of insect damage, and what is probably a little physical sun scald aggravated by the insect damage. I cannot tell you specifically what insect based on the photo. Cucumber beetles are common in Ohio, and can cause damage similar to what the leaves show, so can aphids and other common pests.  Most viral, fungal, and bacterial diseases of cucumber are spread by insects, especially cucumber beetles, so keeping them in check is a good idea.  Below are links to publications to help identify specific pests, and guidance on treatment. 

Cucumber beetle damage photo

Cucumber beetle fact sheet The Ohio State University

Additional information on cucumber beetles from the Wisconsin State extension service

Cucumber pests Ohio this hand out lists cucumber pests in the state, which will let you keep an eye out for specific pests now, and in the future.

Some general good practices for growing cucumbers it to trellis vining varieties so the fruit doesn't touch the ground, and to use a thin layer of mulch, plastic, or other ground cover below bush varieties to also prevent the fruit from touching the ground. For both varieties of cucumber watering from below, and keeping water from splashing soil on leaves and fruit is a best practice.   Good air circulation is also a must to prevent, and mitigate downy mildew.  Downy mildew was identified in Wayne County on July 3, so those spores are in the air.

Other practices include rotation of cucumber, and curcurbit crops with grains, tomatoes, or a non-host cover crop to delay cucumber beetle infestations. Planting blue Hubbard squash at the edges of areas where you are growing vine crops can also help control cucumber beetles. This squash variety is particularly attractive to cucumber beetles and will serve as a trap crop where the insects are more likely to feed. If you decide to use a trap crop, it is critical to control cucumber beetles on the trap plants. In smaller plantings, consider using floating row covers to keep cucumber beetles from reaching plants. When using floating row covers, be sure to uncover plants when they flower to allow bees to enter and pollinate.

Home growers can also submit samples of insect pests, and disease to The Ohio State University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic there is guidance on the site for how to collect and submit samples, along with hours of operation and other facts.