David Hare-Scott wrote:
jeff wrote:
snip

All cucurbits struggle in the heat not just cucumbers. The reason is
that they have big soft leaves that lose water quickly due to both
evaporation and transpiration. On a well grown plant the root system can
be huge

I wondered about that.

but they also have long stems that take time to deliver water up
from the roots. On a hot sunny afternoon it is almost impossible to
prevent wilting as the transport system just can't keep up even if the
soil is moist. The good news is that although wilting will slow down
growth (the leaves shut down to conserve water) they recover quite well.

That's good, I thought it might make the cukes "bitter". My vague
understanding is that watermellons are sweeter if they get less water late.

Things to do:

- Mulch well to avoid soil evaporation. If your soil is sandy add
organic matter to improve its water holding capacity.

OK, I have a couple bags of cyprus mulch. How much should I put down?
An inch or two? The soil is reasonably good.

- Water deeply and less frequently rather than lightly and often, this
will encourage deep and spreading root systems.
- Water in the mornings before hot days but avoid wetting the leaves as
it will encourage mildew which will reduce your crop much more than
wilting.
- Do not overcrowd the plants so that the root system for each plant can
develop fully.
- Allow nodal roots to develop (push some nodes under the mulch and
cover with soil after fruiting if you like) to short circuit the
transport issue.

Google fails me on this. Where will a nodal root form? Is it where the
the plant splits, or is this near the flower/fruit?

Thanks to all.

Jeff




This will also give a measure of protection against
vine borer.

David