Sweet garden. My little brother once had me look at why some plants in his yard went wonky, and it was leachate from some concrete repairs. Sooo, I just maybe wonder if the cukes are picking up a salt leaching from the blocks. They are sensitive to salts and mineral overloads. Your grass looks great, wish my native soil was as good.

No mention of fertilizer. Have you used any?

How deep is your raised bed?

Also, what and how do you water? Soil must be evenly moist.

Ditto what Jean said - fertilizer? Maybe he uses a different one or more often. Maybe his sun exposure is better. That can make a world of difference. Different varieties perform differently. Different spacing can make a big difference in plant performance. Maybe he waters differently. Maybe he uses massive amounts of pesticides as some do. Lots of possible variables and soil is only one of many.

Dave

l had the same exact results the last three seasons when I had 8 inch raised wooden beds so I replaced them in March with 8 inch cinder block beds because of rotting.

My neighbors' garden gets just as much sun as ours. I don't fertilize except for a top dressing of compost that I produce myself.

I don't want to plant directly in the ground like they do because my fence posts are pressure treated.

Let's say I wanted to eliminate the soil factor. In the Fall I'll use my fertilizer spreader to distribute ALL of the soil from the raised beds into my lawn.

What would be the best way to replenish my raised beds with a new soil mix for next Spring? I know it will be costly and back breaking....but something has to change for next season.

Slightly off topic, but you mentioned not wanting to plant into the ground because of using pressure treated posts.

When I built my raised beds 4 years ago, I used pressure treated 2x12. This year I thought to myself "That's probably not a good idea, because the chemicals can leach into the soil". So I got a little nervous and was about to replace the wood and soil. However, I have asked around and researched a little and was told that it really doesn't make much difference and there is no real health concern.

The use of arsenic in pressure treated wood was banned over 10 years go. Don't know if that changes anything, and if you stick to your guns, I wouldn't blame you. Just a thought.

Chris

< I don't fertilize except for a top dressing of compost that I produce myself. >

Then that is likely your problem. Why don't you feed them? Why do you feel that a top dressing of compost is all they need? Cukes are relatively heavy feeders but all garden plants need SOME source of nutrients to prosper. If they aren't provided then they can't thrive.

Compost is primarily a soil amendment, not a source of nutrients. It can only supply nutrients in low doses and only IF there is a highly active soil food web of bacteria to digest it. In raised beds, especially new ones, that soil food web doesn't exist. It is probably just beginning to develop in your current soil. Dump that and start over with new and you will have lost all that gain.

It is very likely that your neighbor has a well developed soil food web if compost is all he uses or that he regularly supplements his plants with fertilizer.

<I don't want to plant directly in the ground like they do because my fence posts are pressure treated>

That hasn't been an issue since 2002 when the law required a change in the PT formulas and even when it was an issue the leach margin was only 4-6".

Dave

njit, I understand your problem. I have had it off and on for umpteen years. Vine crops are the only crop I tend to have disease problems very much with except for some early blight on tomatoes.

Rotation helps a bit sometimes. The best solution was to find virgin soil or soil that melons [watermelons and cantaloupes] had never been planted in before....fantastic results...like a 22 pound crenshaw cantaloupe and 38 pound Raspa watermelon...234 pounds of melon on a single plant.

The problem I have is soil disease...Mature Vine decline, yellow starting in the middle, and just no finishing plant health.

2 or 3 years and disease has been there.

Dave - I did not think I needed to feed my cukes any fertilizer (since my soil results three years ago were great). All I do is water. Should I feed before the season starts or and/or during the season? I just assumed that since everything else is growing so well (bush beans, zucchini, basil, and parsley) that I had enough nutrients in my soil.

What do you recommend I do next year ?