Shrivelling melon seedlings

[AliceB]

Hello everyone,

About three weeks ago I planted several melon seeds (Emir) in three inch peat pots, germinated them in my airing cupboard, and they all grew, hooray! However in the last week they have all started to develop the same problem. Each has two true leaves, but these leaves are beginning to shrivel from the ends, until the plants are just stalks with little shrivelled leaves on top. They have been growing in my flat, as I felt they were too small to go out to the greenhouse yet, and I have been watering them when they appear dry. What could be causing this? Is it something I am doing wrong? I also have cucumber, chilli, aubergine and toms on the go, could this spread to them as well? I will try to add some pictures later when my partner is home to give me some help!

I have searched all over these forums and can't find the answer to my problem, apologies if this has been tackled recently and I've overlooked it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[rustylady]

I think they might have dried out too much between waterings. I don't like peat pots as they are hard to keep evenly moist. I sow mine in three inch plastic pots.

[AliceB]

Thanks rustylady, I will pop out and get some plastic pots and have another go! I have noticed that the soil has been drying out whilst the pots remain damp, hopefully plastic pots for plants that don't mind a bit of root disturbance will solve the problem!

[scarey55]

I think they might have dried out too much between waterings. I don't like peat pots as they are hard to keep evenly moist. I sow mine in three inch plastic pots.

I have just come to the same conclusion Rustylady. I have several seedlings in different pots and the ones in peat pots are certainly not doing as well as those in plastic pots, sown at the same time. Needless to say, I now have them all in plastic pots

[zazen999]

Best thing to do with those peat pots is compost them. They take the moisture out of the actual soil, they go hard and don't break down to let the roots through and if the pot isn't fully under soil once the plant goes in the ground, they act as a wick to dry out the compost even more.

[AliceB]

Thanks all, peat pots are going straight in the compost, and unopened packets will be swiftly exchanged for their plastic counterparts!!