Cucumbers - what’s happened???

[Swag]

All been planted together and experienced exactly the same temperatures. 5 withered, 1 showing signs of new growth, and 3 perfectly happy. Confused?

[ameno]

The two withered ones look very dry. Are you sure you're watering them enough?

If it's not that, do you find you have lots of tiny black flies flying about? These are fungus gnats, and although they are harmless to most plants, I find they (or rather their larvae) can be fatal to cucumber and melon seedlings, eating the roots and tunnelling the underground stem.

[quanglewangle]

Had similar experience this year, unlike last year when we had 100% germination and healthy plants.

We grow Baby F1 and a last year, our first, we were embarrassed by the heavy crop - reducing from three to two and then to a single plant. Even with single plant we were giving fruit away.

This year of the six seeds supplied only three germinated and of those one didn't thrive. We now have two healthy and vigorous plants with what looks like first flower buds developing. Will probably cull one before long if it looks like we are going to get another heavy crop.

Conditions: Sown January, germinated in propagator held at 20°C. Planted in greenhouse in heated bed as soon as true leaves appeared. Bed heated so doesn't go below 10°C on coldest nights and usually around 15-20°C. Space heating comes on at 7°C so air goes no lower than 5°C

[quanglewangle]

Is there a picture? I am not seeing it

[ameno]

Yeah, there's an attached picture.
I've hosted it elsewhere for you:
https://i.imgur.com/F7acB40.jpg

[quanglewangle]

Certainly one looks dry.

I concur with ameno - looks like something's attacking them. The ones I lost looked similar.



Oops, forgot. Thanks for posting the link to the pic ameno