Cucumber Hollow Heart Causes and Solutions

Most cucumbers you grow in the garden make it obvious if they’re ailing. The leaves of Cucumis sativus plants get spots, perhaps, the fruits have holes, or both turn yellow or start shriveling.

But “hollow heart” cucumbers don’t really give advance notice.

You may be slicing a fruit to make a salad, or even biting into it as you stroll the garden, before you’re made aware that the unblemished skin is concealing an empty space where the seeds and core flesh would usually be.

Bummer! There are a couple of good things about this condition that almost compensate for its surprise element, however.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

For one thing, compared to the conditions that are obvious while the fruits are still on the plant, hollow heart has more potential fixes you can try right away, instead of focusing solely on doing better the next time you grow.

Also – and this is a big relief in my book – hollow heart is not caused by insects or disease pathogens.

That means it’s not contagious.

Other vegetables planted in the same type of soil or in the same growing conditions, like turnips, may indeed contract hollow heart as well.

But once you clear up the causes with some quick fixes and long-term preventive measures, it’s unlikely the hollow heart will return – unlike those types of fungi that can live in the soil for years and transmit disease when water is splashed onto the plants.

Before we get to solutions and prevention tips, though, let me tell you what can cause this cucumber abnormality, and when you may have an immediate fix available.

Keep reading to find an answer to the all-important question of whether