Topic: Yellowing cucumber seedlings

[Annadl]

Hello again.

Before I begin, just remember I am in Perth and am halfway through a erratic spring!!

I had beautiful burpless cucumber seedlings growing well in egg cartons.   Once the first true leaf started coming I planted half in my vege patch and the other half in a large pot as I had planned. 

I kept the pot in the verandah for a week and then put it in the sun on a retainer wall opposite my vege patch.

All was doing well until the leaves in the pot started turning yellow :(
The saucer they were sitting in was full of water but the pot is 14 inches deep so I didn't think the seedling roots would get water logged.  Am I wrong in thinking this?

Meanwhile the cucumber seedlings in the vege patch have just cut their second true leaf and grown larger but are slightly protected by the tall peas nearby.

Did the sun kill the ones in the pot?  It hasn't been hot.  About 18 degrees but windy?

Are there that many variables with growing in pots or is it that it is just more difficult?  (did you get that??!!)

I have 9 packets of seeds and planned of planting them in pots but now am having second thoughts.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Anna from Downunder

[wardy]

If your veggies are in containers then they rely on you for everything really.  Make sure they only stand in a saucer of water til they'e taken it up and then remove it.  You have to protect your plants from hot, dry winds or they'll shrivel up.  Make sure your plants are big enough before putting them into the garden soil.  They need to be quite well established and not put out at the true leaf stage.  If you are growing all your veggies in pots make sure the pots are big enough  :)  If you mix some organic matter into the potting mix this will help retain moisture. You could set up an irrigation system  :)

[john_miller]

The saucer they were sitting in was full of water but the pot is 14 inches deep so I didn't think the seedling roots would get water logged.  Am I wrong in thinking this?

If you look here: http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/cucumber.html at the plant characteristics section it mentions that cucumbers do not have an extensive root branching system. Consequently a lot of the root growth will go into the tap root, particularly in the early stages, with branch roots only becoming significant later . The constant water you have had the pot in may have affected this tap root and this is probably all it has at the moment, more or less. Cucumbers are thought to have originated in the fertile crescent where the soils in general have good drainage and rainfall is low- modern peat based pot composts do not have the same characteristics so you may want to restrict water in general.

[Annadl]

Hi Wardy

Those pots are so heavy to move yet pick them up to move the saucer!!  That's why I got big pots so that there would be more leeway for the waterflow. :o

I suppose it is trial and error, but I have found the seedlings in general in the garden bed do a lot better.

[Svea]

i grew those cucumbers - i planted one in a massive pot (60cm diameter) and the other, much later, into garden soil. both did very well - i noticed leaves yellowing at the bottom but this is something they seem to be doing naturally. my big pot did not stand on a saucer - any surplus water could run off easily. i 'planted' and upside down coke bottle next to it and watered into that, one pop bottle every other day until the plant started cropping heavily when i increased it to one bottle a day.

i tried courgettes in pots and they hated it. maybe i was lucky with my cucumber because the pot was so big? (biggest i have)

[wardy]

I've grown cues in the mayo containers and they've done very well.  Courgettes in 9" pots have been fine as well, more water required though.  I think the courgettes are best in the garden though as they seem to have more vigour, as do seedlings Annadl  :)   Good tip re bottle Svea  :)

[Annadl]

Fantastic idea with the pop bottle Svea.

But would you water that way & that often even while they are seedlings in the pot?

[Svea]

what are seedlings?
when your plants are big enough to go outside and have say three true leaves, they are just little plants, not seedlings anymore. i dont think i am understanding your question.

my seedlings were raised in much smaller pots (large yoghurt pot 500ml size) and i watered them when they needed it. not too wet as they may rot, and not too dry as they will wilt.
when i transplanted then into final positions, then i changed the regime to work with the bigger pot/soil.

[Annadl]

Hi Svea

I am just trying to skip a step in between.  I sow the seeds in seedling punnets or egg cartons and once they have sprouted their first 2 leaves I transplanted them into the big (huge) pot but spaced apart giving it room once it is established as I don't want to transplant them too many times.

The cucumber seedlings in the pot have wilted as you know but the cucumber seedlings I put in the vege patch are fine.

The plants I have tried to raise from seeds haven't been successful; lettuce (very slow but I am waiting for them in the 'interim' pot, leeks didn't survive (I have since found out leeks are quite difficult to propogate from seed) and basil have failed.

As you can see I haven't had any of my seedlings reach the 3 true leaf stage (yet) :(

The plants I have had success with have all been from purchased seedlings from the shops ;D

Yes, I am struggling with my 'seedlings' but am not going to give up yet.  There are too many plants I want that I can't buy seedlings for ;D

[Annadl]

Hello again

I have sprouted most of my seeds that arrived from my order and guess which one I am having problems with again?


1)  This time I have lebanese cucumber & the seedlings were doing well until I put them outside protected from wind and shaded with a fly screen.  Watched the watering.  The pumkin, melon,turnip & squash have all kept their lovely green colour but the cucumber seedling leaves are now changing to light green.

2)  The seedlings I had in the pot now have white leaves - if someone can tell me what happened there (apart from dying) it might help to clarify things.  The top of the stem is also turning white.  It is now white halfway down the stems (3 plants).  I thought maybe this is a nitrogen problem.  I have propogated all my seedlings in seedling raising mix so I thought it would have the right conditions ???  I used potting mix for the pot and have compost on the top.

3)  The seedlings I put in the garden are now little plants.  The first few leaves have turned yellow.  One has healthy new green growth above the old yellow ones.  A couple have new leaves lighter in colour.  The rest have yellow mottling on the leaves with a couple of orange spots.  Now I am thinking is it the seeds I got?

Or maybe are cucumbers just more difficult to grow?

Any ideas?