Whats wrong with my cucumber seedling?

gardev

9 years ago

All my seedlings look like this.

They grew very slowly to this size then stopped and withered.

Any ideas?

Thanks! :)

This post was edited by gardev on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 12:40

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Comments (7)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years ago
Well the brutal answer is 'It's dead'. As to why it's dead it's impossible to tell from the picture. It could be underwaterd, overwatered, overheated, frozen, attacked by a fungus or a combination of several factors. What is the mix it is in and has that pot got any holes for drainage? What do the roots look like? (It won't hurt it to pull it up - it's past any suffering.)

October seems a strange time to be starting cucumbers in Canada so my suggestion, harsh though it might appear, is to give up for now. Do some reading over the winter and start again at a more appropriate time.
gardev
Original Author
9 years ago
Its an indoor setup. Lots of artificial light with some natural.

The mix it is in is Presidents Choice brand Black Earth. The little pot has a whole in the bottom with some pebbles for drainage.

I will have a look at the roots.

As a side note I'm surprised nobody told me to put it right-side up instead of sideways as in the picture :)
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What's wrong with my cucumbers?
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If you fix the issue with the plant itself, which should be the main focus anyway, you'll fix the problem with the fruit. Good cukes won't grow on a poor plant. Simple as that. And that plant doesn't look well at all. Could be weather related, disease (be sure to check the link agardenstateof_mind gave), and/or could be a problem with the soil. So, how has the weather been? Is the soil draining properly or staying overly wet or too dry? Does your squash that was planted in a different bed have the same soil as the cucumbers? I see some white stuff on the soil in the first pic, did you sprinkle anything? "The picture looks like cross pollination with a squash plant. It may still be good to eat....never know till you try." Can't happen. As Peter said, they are completely different species and won't cross. Rodney
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on babes.. always look to the new growth ... and yours looks fine ... who cares.. what happened.. a week or two back.. to damage the older leaves ... if they were transplanted... that could cause the stress.. that caused the MINOR damage ... if they were grown in situ ... who knows.. rain on a very tender babe?? ... cold damage though we are probably past most of that ... btw.. always mention where you are .. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=in+situ&t=ffcm&ia=definition why are they covered with sand ... either that rain i mentioned.. or you are a bit aggressive watering them ... ken
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What’s wrong with my cucumbers?
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Comments (5)
Potassium deficiency, due you fertilize? Well here's the deal, I can't tell you how much to apply because it's in a container, and I don't know what fertilizers you use if any. I can tell what NOT to use and why the older leaves are effected. Do NOT use 10-10-10 fertilizers or general purpose fertilizers, the type of potassium used in those fertilizers are Potassium Chloride (KCI) and cucumbers are very sensitive to Chloride reduces plant vigor, causing yellowing and scorching of leaf margins, and premature leaf fall. Right away people think the plant has a disease and it was chloride. Nope, Chloride isn't your problem. potassium is mobile plants and the new growth is taking potassium from the older leaves to support growth, it's what plants do so you need potassium and the right kinds. The right kind is Potassium Sulfate or potassium nitrate, not a banana peel unless you think the plant can wait a month before microbes make the potassium available for the plant to use. Potassium Sulfate is preferred because of the Sulfate (sulfur). Plants need sulfur or they get sick and the leaves start looking like a Iron deficiency, so people dump a boat anchor of iron on the plant when only a few milligrams are needed, but it doesn't help so they think disease (again). So tell me what fertilizer you're using. More fun facts on Cucumbers and potassium: Cucumbers are one of the only crops that require more potassium then nitrogen, 60 to 100% more, but too much potassium will cause a nitrogen deficiency (it's complicated). To much or to little and your plants will suffer and if to little your cucumbers will look like a water balloon, the stem end skinny and the blossom end fat . Potassium will protect the plant from downey mildew, in fact a potassium deficient plant with downey mildew can be cured with potassium. Really! I'm not making this up. https://www.siftdesk.org/article-details/The-impact-of-potassium-on-downy-mildew-of-cucumber-and-its-leafsoil-nutritional-status/437 Sorry but this is the kind of stuff I love reading.
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What’s wrong with my cucumber?
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Comments (1)
Since the newest leaves appear ok I'd suspect that the bought transplants may not have been hardened off and suffered some shock & sunscald. Can't rule out some early bug bites either. Best guesses.
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years ago
Is the mix supposed to be used for containers or is it an outdoor soil....for lawns and gardens?

You need to evaluate your set up for humidity, circulation, moisture content, temperature, and more. We cannot help you with the little information provided.

We're used to seeing sideways and upside down images.
User
9 years ago
If all your seedlings look like that, I'd investigate how something toxic could have gotten to them - something sprayed, something in the water, etc. Perhaps mites.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
there arent many veg you are going to grow indoors.. under lights... it takes a lot more energy from sunshine ...

you need a proper MEDIA... potting MEDIA... not earth ...

MEDIA is all about water management ...

rocks in the bottom of a solo cup will not help ...

somehow or another... you killed the roots...

let us know what you find when you un pot them...

how far are the plants.. from the lights... 2 to 4 inches is proper ....

ken
goodground
9 years ago
Never tried it myself, but I don't think it's good practice to grow in clear cups. Can't tell from your pic if light can get in? I have always used the red/blue grocery store cups as they block light. I drill at least 6-10 holes on the bottom. If the soil drains well, there is no need for pebbles. Not familiar with your mix, but if you are using the one in the link below, it is not for containers. Clear cups with one hole filled with topsoil is a combo for failure. If so, time to go back to the drawing board.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Earth
jean001a
9 years ago
Please avoid the "drainage material" in the bottom. Contrary to popular opinion, it helps to retain moisture in the container.

As for sideways images, that's an issue with images taken w/ Apple products -- iPods, iPads and more.
When the rest of us click such an image, it will come up in a new screen and be both larger and upright.

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Whats wrong with my cucumber seedling?

Comments (7)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

gardev
Original Author

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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Whats wrong with my cucumber seedling?

Comments (7)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

gardevOriginal Author

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

goodground

jean001a

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gardev
Original Author