Cucumber seedlings.

Cucumber close-up.

Radish seedlings.

One of the "sunburnt" radish seedlings. It's slightly difficult to see.

First of all - and please take this kindly - why would you choose to grow two of the cheapest possible 'veggies' rather than buy them at the grocery store? Even if you manage to get them to harvest, they will cost exponentially more than at the grocery store.

Second - and I hope this is helpful - your cucumber plants are so far down in the bucket, they can't see the light of day. Your plants will need some shade, especially from the western sun, but they do need some morning sun and they need light all day long. Your radishes are close to the surface, but could be closer. Can you put them in a place where they get bright, but indirect light?

Your soil appears to be excessively wet. Could you be watering too much? And, btw, what is your orientation, east, west, ???

I understand what you're saying. I've been trying to grow food for the past few months, and last summer as well, with nothing but failure. I'm just starting out and I chose these two crops, this time, because many people say they're easy to grow. I need to start somewhere and it'd be neat to have part of the patio wall covered in a cucumber vine.

The patio actually does get bright during the day. There's a doorway facing south and a large window, facing east, covered by a screen. I could move the cucumbers closer to the opening to get the morning sun. I'm not so sure about the radishes. There's a building blocking the sun in the early morning but that shouldn't be a problem for the long days this time of year.

I have been watering them a lot but stopped the other day to let them dry out some.

Also I hadn't filled the bucket all the way so I could save soil and protect the seedlings from the harsh sun. It's expensive because I can only buy the small bags of it. Do you think I should add vermiculite or another additive? The soil itself seems very fertile however I thought it might need more drainage.

Thanks for the reply.

This post was edited by AZprep on Mon, Jul 22, 13 at 20:38

You really need to get the cucumbers in a much shallower container. The soil line shouldn't be more than 2" from the top of the pot. And that includes the mulch. Forget the expensive MG organic soil; just buy inexpensive potting soil like Omni or another no-name brand. I wouldn't add perlite or vermiculite at this point. I see a bush in the background of your photo; is there a larger plant outside that would shade the little plants in the hottest part of the day? If so, it might be helpful to move them out. And just because you're a beginner doesn't mean you can't start with a bean or okra or pumpkin, melon or an eggplant. Can you get a few transplants? And if you need pots, I'll bet there are folks here who would share some extras with you. I got some. ;o)

I don't really "own" the space beyond the patio. But if I did move my plants out I'm sure people wouldn't mind much. There's actually a plant sale at the local seed store I'm planning on going to. Hopefully they have some pepper plants or something else I could try growing. Then I could get some more soil if I need it. The seed shop sometimes has flyers for gardening classes so I'll check it out.

Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it!

Are you here in the Valley? Phoenix? A satellite city? You can get soil in bulk at Singh Farm @ the 101 and Thomas Road (Scottsdale) on Fridays. Their farmers market on Sat. has closed for the season. Good luck. I'm sure you can grow more than cukes and radishes. Heck, if I can, you can!

I'm in the middle of Tuscon. I think there's a large farmers market somewhere outside of Tucson but Home depot is much closer and I'd rather not have a bunch of leftover compost laying on my patio. I have no where else to put it. It's frustrating seeing my seedlings die. I feel like I'm doing everything I'm supposed to but they quit growing and fell over.

I'll forget about the cucumbers for now and try growing squash and hopefully some bell peppers if I can find them. I want to get some things growing before the fall arrives.

Again thanks for the help.

Please don't plant anything else in the buckets unless you raise the level of the soil. You can do that and save on soil by turning a plastic pot upside down in the bucket and filling in around it with soil. I've done it many times in large containers and it works just fine.

You can tell by how leggy your cukes are that they need to be closer to the surface, when a plant is growing it grows toward the sun and if it is not closer to the surface it will grow longer than normal to reach the light these will never survive and produce. Start over, like they said add more soil cheap is fine, 2 inches or so below the rim then after they sprout add mulch for water retention, be careful watering in containers they dry out quickly but also can be over watered very easily as well, always check first if they need water rather than just watering to a schedule. You should try growing a pickling cucumber for the trellis, why not also try a pole bean for the trellis, peppers can be frustrating, I would rather go with a small fruited tomato, radishes will need something a little deeper than what you have them in try minimum 8 inches deep for root development, but radishes are the most rewarding easiest thing to grow in my opinion very short days to harvest, try French breakfast they are a mild crisp flavor. Just get those babies up in the sun instead of reaching for it.