Mostly good news from you, which is great. Cukes sometimes get wilty looking in the heat, when they need water, and sometimes when they have bugs or disease.
If they are perking up after watering, and in the AM, it may just be the heat. Look to see if there’s any lil bugs or residue on the leaves. Don’t forget to check the underside.
There is a cuke beetle that carries a disease from plant to plant. Can’t remember the details about it though. TIK could speak about this better than I could.
TIK, would you please refresh my memory on cukes? Thanks.
cucumber : Cucumis sativus, is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae.
There are 791 known cultivers, most of which are a spreawling vine, although there are some bush types, and they are grown world-wide.
There are two common insect vectors most widely known as they carry disease and viri : aphids and the cucumber beetle.
photo aphids :http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aphids&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBILPG
Aphids referred to as plant lice , or "green flies".. feed on foliage, stems and flowers and cluster around soft new vegetation,
although some will suck sap from plant roots, especially in greenhouse type of envireonment.
This includes unopened flower buds, the underside of young leaves, and on developing stems and roots.
photo cucumber beetle: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cucumber+beetle&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=cucumber+beetle&sc=8-15&sp=-1&sk=
DISEASES : Aphids spread several viruses and can transmit a mosaic symptom including 'Cucumber mosaic virus' (CMV)
, 'Zucchini yellows mosaic virus' (ZYMV),
and Watermelon mosaic virus 2 (WMV2).
Also cucumber beetles will spread CMV.
The most common virus (CMV) - will show in deformed leaves and fruits. Note also that CMV can also infect pepper plants .
Photo of CMV
; http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Cucumber+mosaic+virus+%28CMV%29&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBILPG
Virus infection (CVM) prevention:
CMV overwinters in wild cucumber seed and in wild perennial milkweed, ground cherry, and matrimonial vine.
Control requires host plant material to be removed within 1000 feet from the garden.
Crop rotation especially crops which may harbor the virus and/or attrack the insect vectors.
Reccommended Varieties :
Reccommended resistant varieties: In slicing cucumber cultivars, 'Niagara' is resistant.
There is also some tolerance to the virus in 'DasherII', 'Multipik', 'Burpee', 'Surecrop', 'Gemini', 'Marketmore', and 'Sensation'.
For pickling cucumbers, the cultivars 'MR-17', 'SMR-18', 'SMR-58', and 'Pioneer' have high tolerance and are recommended for planting. I hope this helps and the information you were looking for...