By: Zvi Howard Wener / Chief Agronomist / Zviw@zeraim.co.il

The photo on the left shows crooked cucumbers. Crooked fruit in seedless cucumbers is usually a physiological disorder. The deformation begins early when the ovary of the fruit is less than 1.5cm long and remains misshapen throughout the development of the ovary into fruit.
This is caused by:
(a) The interference of the growing ovary by other plant parts such as a leaf or stem. Severe curvature sometimes occurs when a flower petal becomes stuck on the spines of a leaf stem or another young fruit.
(b) Thrips and other insects feeding on one side of the young fruit and ovary.
(c) Adverse temperatures.
(d) Excessive soil moisture and
(e) Poor nutrition. An example of poor nutrition is the photo on the left showing nitrogen deficiency where the basal end is swollen and the distal or flower end is narrow.