Dying leaves on cucumbers can be caused by several things, including just the age of the plant as it winds down for the season. Make sure that the plant has enough water; cucumbers like about an inch of water per week–if the soil is dry about an inch below in the soil, it is time to water. There are also several diseases (such as powdery or downy mildew, anthracnose, bacterial wilt) and insects that can cause wilting/browning/yellowing/dying of leaves–check for spots or holes in the leaves, or whitish patches. Be sure to provide good ventilation among the leaves; trellising cucumbers can help increase air flow to discourage disease. Remove any plant debris, which may harbor diseases or insects. Water in the morning so that the leaves have a chance to dry out before evening; watering at ground level is preferable than by overhead.

We’re not sure we understand your question. From planting to harvest, cucumbers take anywhere from 40 to 60 days to develop. Once they are ready to be harvested, you will want to harvest them every couple of days to make sure that none of them become overripe. The number of cucumbers you get from each cucumber plant depends on the variety and the health of the plant, but most produce quite a lot of cucumbers per season.

Many cucumbers have spines, but some varieties may be spinier than others. You can also get spineless types. As I understand it, the spines (also called trichomes in botanical terms), act as defense by the plant, protecting the developing cucumber from insects. The base of the spiny hairs contain compounds that taste bitter, to also deter hungry pests. As the cucumber matures, the spines become less or disappear. (Cucumbers at the supermarket often have had the spines removed.) Pickling cucumber varieties tend to be more prickly than slicing types. With some varieties, the spines are sparse and easily rubbed off before eating. However, with other types, it is best to peel the cucumber to remove the spiny skin before eating the interior. To check ripeness, carefully check the firmness of the cuke, the color, and size–follow recommendations on the seed packet or plant label, if you have it, for the variety that you are growing. Hope this helps!

We do advise that you use a trellis to grow your cucumbers and any type will do, even a tomato cage. Trellising will protect the fruit from damage from lying on the moist ground.

We just recently sliced into an grocery-store English cucumber and it too had seeds, albeit very small ones. A couple of thoughts here: We are inclined to go to the source, first: Have you inquired of your seed supplier what you should expect? And consulted the grower—not to be confused with the vendor—of the starts/seedlings? The “brand” of seedlings, if commercial (as opposed to local), would normally appear on the plant tag/stick.

Then there’s this: The proximity to other plants may be part of the problem. English cukes DO have seeds; however, they are considered “undeveloped” because they are, in the truest form, not as large as those in a conventional cucumber. The English cuke is parthenocarpic: It develops fruit without pollination. So, insects that pollinate nearby plants could also visit your cukes and alter the results. There is, according to some, a belief that English cukes do best in a greenhouse for this reason, although at least one other source suggests that you are more likely to achieve the desired produce/harvest, if you plant the cukes 115 feet or more from other cukes—or, presumably, other flowering plants. So, maybe there is something to the greenhouse idea… If that’s not feasible (understandably) perhaps row covers tightly secured over plants at a distance (not nec 155 feet) would yield a more satisfactory cuke.

We’re not sure what you’re asking, but a cucumber plant will keep producing fruit if you keep harvesting. If you stop picking the fruit when mature, the plant will slow down or shut down production.