Can cucumber plants be affected by a woman's ovulation cycle?

Question

I've recently heard an old wives tale that if you go around cucumber plants when on your period that the plants will die. I was just wondering if this had any truth in it because I could not find anything on this matter. Thanks ahead of time.

Answer 1

No, but it keep me out of the garden once a month when I was growing up:) Old wives tale, I thought I started it.

Answer 2

I heard that too when I was growing up. One time I was mad at my mom and I walked through them for spite, then I was scared too death she was going to find out!  Didn't hurt the things a bit!

Answer 3

This is udder cow scat!

But what is true is that if you smoke and touch a tomato or pepper plant, that the plants could curl up and die

Answer 4

That is utterly false & I blush with shame to think  that anyone in this day & age would believe such nonsense.There have been many such tales about various things in the past, but this is the 21st century, not the 15th, & you must learn to garden without such superstitions.

Answer 5

Whoa, I never heard that one.   I have never noticed any such problems and have had vegetable gardens for years.    It sounds like one of those things people come up with because they want to get out of  chores, like weeding the garden.

Answer 6

It was once believed, in some ancient cultures, that women should not be around crops during their fertile days (i.e., ovulation) because their bodies would "steal" the nutrients from the crops.  This may be what you've heard.

I'm not sure which culture(s) this referred to, as I heard it in a college Humanities class about 20 years ago.

Answer 7

That's why it is called an old wive's tale !!!