Cucumber Watering Mistakes That Are Sure To Kill Your Plants

If you want to grow some veggies at home, cucumbers are one of the best options to start with. They are pretty easy to grow, and once you're successful, you'll be sure to enjoy them — few things are tastier than fresh cucumbers straight from the garden. While learning how to grow cucumbers is fairly straightforward, there are some common mistakes gardeners make that can damage them before they're ready to eat.

According to Tiffany Selvey, a master gardening expert who spoke exclusively to Hunker, one of the most common mistakes made with cucumbers is overwatering. Expanding on this, she said, "This is especially true in container gardens that seem dry on top, but have insufficient drainage. This also happens in soil that drains poorly, like dense clay. When there's extra water at the root level, those roots will rot." 

In addition to ensuring adequate drainage, Selvey went on to say that it's also important to avoid letting water sit on the leaves of the plant, a problem that often occurs when using a sprinkler or hose-end sprayer for watering. Water buildup on the leaves could lead to a fungal disease such as powdery mildew.

In her exclusive chat with Hunker, master gardener Tiffany Selvey stated, "It's far better to water too little than too much because once that moisture is in the soil, you have to wait for it to move through naturally — and that may take too long to preserve the health of your plant." Despite this, both overwatering and underwatering can be detrimental to the health of cucumbers and either could be the reason your cucumber plants are wilting and dying. 

So how can you tell which of these problems, if either, you're dealing with? According to Selvey, there are some signs overwatering and underwatering share. "When it's hot, you'll notice that both over- and underwatered cucumber leaves will droop." Despite this, you can identify key differences. The master gardener said, "Overwatered plants will often present with yellowing leaves that stay droopy or fall off the plant. Underwatered plants will usually have browning, crispy leaf edges." If you notice that the plant is dry and crispy then it's likely that you need to water the plant more, rather than less. 

If you've accidentally overwatered your cucumbers, the plant could develop root rot and you may be left with few options. According to expert Tiffany Selvey, who spoke to Hunker in an exclusive interview, "Once root rot has set in, there isn't much you can do to salvage the plant, so prevention is the key." You need to take steps to prevent problems in the first place and should follow the best expert tips for your vegetable garden. Staying observant is a key first step, so always pay attention to how the plant looks.

Selvey says there are simple ways stay on top of how much water your cucumber plant is getting. She said, "Keeping track of the rainfall in your area using a rain gauge can help keep you from watering too frequently." You should aim to give your cucumbers around 1 inch of water each week. Before you add water, however, you should take the rain into account and check that the soil's surface is damp below 1 inch. If it is, Selvey suggested patience. "Wait until that depth is dry before watering your plants," she said.