Is it common for cukes and watermelons to get a slow start?

9 years ago

I decided to grow my watermelons and cucumbers from seed this year. Turns out I had a 1/2 seed packet of lemon cucumbers from last year, so I sprouted them in 2" x 2" market packs on May 6th in garden soil. They came up, grew the first level of oval leaves, then began growing the first regular shaped leaf on each plant when I transplanted them into the ground. They were about 3" tall at that time. That was roughly 3 weeks ago, and the temps were in the mid 50's to low 70's until just last week when it went up to the high 70's to mid 80's around here. I looked at the plants yesterday, and they are maybe 7" tall with about 3 levels of primary leaves, but they have not yet fallen over and started growing like a vine yet.

Next the watermelons. I bought Orangleglo watermelon seeds on May 21st, sprouted them in wet paper towels, moved them outdoors to the final growing spot about 2 days after the roots broke out of the seeds, about May 26th. There were no leaves yet showing, only a 1/2" long root. I planted them about 1.5" deep under a mix of garden soil and regular soil, and a little mulch. I looked at them yesterday(6/9/14), and they are showing the first oval leaves and the first primary leaves and are about 2.5" tall now.

Is it normal for cukes to take about 5 weeks from seed to 7" tall plants when the temps are at or below 74 degrees F for 3 weeks, and is it normal for watermelons to take 19 days from seed to 2.5" tall with 1 primary leaf level at those same temps?

Thanks

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Comments (9)

hidesertca
9 years ago
They'll start taking off once the weather warms up. I've noticed they don't grow too much when the weather is in the 70's. Once its consistently at least in the mid 80's they should start growing quicker. Mine were doing the same thing until we started warming up.
edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
9 years ago
What are 2" x 2" market packs? The cukes seem a bit slow for 5 weeks. OTOH the watermelons seem on schedule since you only planted them a couple of weeks ago. My only thought about the cukes was that they were in some sort of peat cup and getting root bound.
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Those are the group of plants that handle transplanting the worst, so it is better to plant them while they are very young. I think it is because they send out those super fine roots that are just too easy to damage. Personally I think we are done with cold weather but melons like warm soil so if you can find out what the soil temp is in your area you should be able to determine if they will just sit there and barely grow, or take off like a rocket. In my entire long life of gardening I have NEVER gotten a watermelon or honeydew to taste like they do in the grocery store. They look the same but barely have any flavor. My father's garden had the same track record and he lived in an area famous for its watermelons. I read somewhere about very specific pH and mineral requirements in order to get peak flavor... I don't remember what those were but I plan on googling it again and taking action this year.
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If you got your seeds from Burpee and sowed them and that is what produced this "odd" vine and fruit, there is no way it is the result of a cross-pollination from that season's pollens anyway. Any cross-pollination that might have transpired would not be evident until growing out the seeds from that crop of fruit. It is however possible that there was an oops in packaging and a seed was from some other variety that it wasn't labeled for OR if it is a hybrid variety the seed that produced the "odd" vine/fruit did not adhere to the expected/typical rules for F1s or their breeding program OR if a hybrid, that seed's genetics had reverted to traits of one or both parent plants different from what was expected OR if not a hybrid, Nature had simply stepped in to alter the genetics and provide a "new strain". Nature is very good about messing with us. :) But these "flukes" are often the beginning of new varieties that are much loved. It happens not only with seeds, but also one will hear of "sports" from mother-plants with variations off of the expected. The only "catch" with saving seeds from the "odd" one would be what it cross-pollinated with. If you only grew the one type of melon and no one else within a certain radius grew melons, you can feel relatively safe in knowing it crossed with just the one variety you were growing. Keep that DOCUMENTED. If others were growing melons, find out what kinds so you can keep documentation/notes of the *possible* cross(es) made with other varieties. Do grow out the seeds it produced if it was a good melon in your opinion. If you are lacking enough space to grow all of the seeds in the next season, ask other reliable gardeners to trial the seeds with you. This "testing" is common, gardeners helping each other out by growing things, documenting relevant information not just on form but also habit, flavour or scent, etc. AND saving seed while insuring it is "pure"/not crossed with other varieties. It also allows you to find out how a variety or strain does in different climates and conditions, which reliable/reputable gardeners will additionally keep documentation on for you. If it was a hybrid strain to begin with, try to find out what varieties were used to create it. Most seed companies guard their hybrid "recipes" to prevent anyone else from profiting off of them, but it never hurts to ask.
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seysonn
9 years ago
RE: Is it common for cukes and watermelons to get a slow start?

%%%%%%%%%%%%

Yes the are slow if the soil and air temperatures are low.
But once they are established and temps have improved, they will take off and grow fast.

The garlic (seen in the picture) will be gone soon

Here is a picture of my cukes taken yesterday. I started them in 3" pots under hoop and then transplanted into garden bed.
It has been almost three weeks from sowing them.
garden-of-simple
9 years ago
I'm considering replanting my cukes. They are tiny, tiny, tiny. I planted early May and then we had a few nights of 40 degree temps. Since they are so small I don't think I'll lose much growing time by reseeding, and they might even do better now that we are consistently warm.
2ajsmama
9 years ago
I think I'm in the same boat with my Little Leaf cukes, seed originally bought in 2011, only maybe 30% germination. Summer squash are doing better, but the cantaloupe and slicing cukes aren't coming up either. Seeded Mem Day, have had temps mostly in the 70's since then but a few 80's and some nights below 50. But warming up next week.

Beans are germinating nicely, those were seeded a few days later. Wish I knew what I did with my soil thermometer!
highlandernorth
Original Author
9 years ago
OK, I was back over there today(2 days after posting this thread) and its generally been in the low 80's for the last few days, but only 70 today. However, the recently warmer weather has seemingly caused them to start growing. They appeared to be at least 2 inches taller than 2 days earlier, and they appear to be a bit wider, meaning that I believe their primary leaves are growing larger finally.

I had grown standard Burpee burpless cuke plants in 2011 from market packs bought at Home depot, and they were small when planted, and with them I bought a single pack that had like 6 separate cuke plants all close together in that standard store market pack, so I carefully separated them, and planted them. But it took like 2 weeks before I noticed any significant growth from them at that time, even though I planted those plants in early June in one of the hottest summers om record. But once they finally started growing, they really took off!
seysonn
9 years ago
You cannot push cucumbers. Even If you plant store bought seedling with few true leaves , plant them but if your weather is cool, they will just sit there and if it was too cold they will get cold stress and might not fully recover. (Lots of IFs. Call it iffy.hehe)
ju1234
9 years ago
I would suggest, plant a few more seeds out there.

I had worse problem this year. The cucs did not grow at all despite good temps. I planted some more seeds later. Those are now several feet while the original seedlings are still sitting at few inches. Same soil, same food, same water, same seed.
2ajsmama
9 years ago
I saw more Little Leaf coming up today - about the size of seysonn's.

I'd say if yours are growing now they'll really take off once the weather warms up. You could start more seed in case of cucumber beetles, powdery mildew, etc. though.

I think I'm going to throw more cantaloupe seed out this weekend since I only had 1 pop up.

Is it common for cukes and watermelons to get a slow start?

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hidesertca

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28

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Is it common for cukes and watermelons to get a slow start?

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