If it’s getting too much heat and sunlight, relocate the plant to an area where there is less sun exposure. Control MeasureĬucumbers need 6 to 7 hours of sunlight every day. Heavy pruning can result in curled-up leaves reacting to pruning shock. Sometimes cucumbers need pruning for better cucumber growth. Excessive heat leads to evaporation and causes the leaves to curl up to conserve water.Īnother reason why the leaves curl up is heavy pruning. Environmental Stress of CucumberĬucumbers are sun-loving vines but too much sunlight can cause the cucumber leaves to curl up and turn brown.Įven too much heat can do the same thing too. ( our pick: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food Vegetables & Herbs)īut if you pick fertilizer that doesn’t contain magnesium, iron, and calcium, what will happen?ĭon’t worry, along with fertilizer, you can add a tablespoon of Epsom salt( our pick: Epsoak Epsom Salt) and a tablespoon of chelated iron ( our pick: Southern Ag 01952 Chelated Liquid Iron), and a tablespoon of bone meal to provide magnesium, iron, and calcium respectively.Īdd well-prepared compost and manure or balanced fertilizer to your garden before planting cucumbers to avoid future deficiency problems. Control MeasureĬucumbers usually require more nutrients than other tropical vine plants, especially Nitrogen.Īpply a well-balanced vegetable fertilizer that contains all the macro and micronutrients for cucumber including magnesium, iron, and calcium. For example, acidic soil can indicate calcium and magnesium deficiency. But you can also do a quick pH test to get an idea of the deficiency.

So it’s very important to provide the right amount of nutrients into the soil for better cucumber production.īut only by seeing the shriveled-up leaves, you cannot determine what is the nutrient deficiency of the soil. Cucumbers are heavy feeders of nutrients. This problem can be very common if the land is not well prepared with fertilizers. The deficiency of Nitrogen, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfur, and Zinc can curl the leaves inwards and make the leaves look wrinkled. These will help to keep the moisture in dry conditions. You can also improve the soil drainage by adding sand, vermiculite, or perlite ( our pick: Miracle-Gro Perlite)Īdd organic mulch such as straw, bark chips, wood chips, dry leaves, compost, etc. In this case, loosen the soil with a spade without hurting the roots. Sometimes the soil gets compacted and as a result, water cannot reach the root zone. You can also do some light watering if the soil seems too dry. You don’t need to water if there’s frequent rain. Water your cucumber vines 3-4 times a week depending on the environmental conditions. So, it is better to check the soil moisture with a moisture meter (our pick: Atree 3-in-1 Soil Tester Kits with Moisture, Light, and PH Test for Garden ) before treating it.ĭon’t have a moisture meter? Dip your finger into the soil and check if it is moist or dry. When the plants don’t get enough water, they quickly start to curl up.īut overwatering also can be the cause of leaf curl. Because young plants do not have a very developed root system. Water stress can result in the curling up of cucumber leaves. So without any delay, let’s get straight to the point- Reasons and Solution For Cucumber Leaves Curling Up 1. It can happen due to Water Stress, Nutrient Deficiency, Environmental Stress, Aphid attack, and some Diseases. Because the wrong kind of treatment can hurt your plants.Ĭurling up of the leaves is one of the earliest signs of stress of the cucumber plant. So if you see your cucumber leaves suddenly starting to curl up, you need to take some immediate action.īut before taking any steps you need to know why the leaves are curling up. Every gardener wants a corner of his garden for growing refreshing cucumbers to enjoy on a hot day.Īlthough cucumbers are very easy to take care of, some issues may need your attention.Ĭurling up of leaves is a common problem of cucumbers.

Cucumber seedlings leaves curling down