Cukes need more frequent watering than everyone else?

enchant · June 7, 2015

A few days ago, we got about a day and a half of steady rain. Inches of rain. So I figured I wouldn't have to worry about watering for a while. I have a soil moisture meter, and taking a couple readings in the garden, the soil is still pretty moist. But my cukes look awful.

I plant them on mounds, and when I check the moisture at the top of a mound, it's bone dry until I get down about 4-6 inches where it's moist again. Is this why my cukes are dying? Does the water quickly drain out of the mounds? Do I need to hand water those mounds every day, even though most of the garden has plenty of moisture?

June 7, 2015	#1
enchant Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 142	Cukes need more frequent watering than everyone else? A few days ago, we got about a day and a half of steady rain. Inches of rain. So I figured I wouldn't have to worry about watering for a while. I have a soil moisture meter, and taking a couple readings in the garden, the soil is still pretty moist. But my cukes look awful. I plant them on mounds, and when I check the moisture at the top of a mound, it's bone dry until I get down about 4-6 inches where it's moist again. Is this why my cukes are dying? Does the water quickly drain out of the mounds? Do I need to hand water those mounds every day, even though most of the garden has plenty of moisture?