Cure for Cucumber Basal Stem Rot??

OK, I'm knocking on wood here for even mentioning it??

I haven't had cucumber basal rot, but I read plenty of people saying that they plant a few extras to cover their losses.

The traditional advice when pricking out / potting-on is to "plunge" plants up to its seed leaves.

I figure the stem between the Seed and the first pair of Seed Leaves (Cotyledons) is designed to be under the soil.

Conversely the stem above the seed leaves isn't and will rot. If you buy a plant that is bare-root, or even container-grown, the instructions always say "plant to the same level as the plant was originally planted". Fair enough.

However, my cucumber plants are generally pretty leggy when I transplant them because they are sown as early as possible, at a time when there isn't much light, and consequently they don't get planted right up to their seed leaves.

My cues are in 9" pots now (1st May), and have a few inches of stem showing, up to the seed leaves (now withering!!), which are desperately trying to grow roots ... I wonder if leaving these above the soil, and NOT plunging them, when potting-on, up to the seed leaves, means that the stem that is showing is more resilient to moisture? and thus more resilient to basal stem rot?

 

Cant help much, I've not grow cues for a few years, but I always planted at the same depth as the seedling.
As the plant grew and got stronger and the weather warmer I used to top dress with well rotted compost, and stem roots would grow a new root system into that.

 

I potted on mine up to the seed leaves.. and they are doing fine. I would definately do it that deep with tomatoes... I'll report back if I have any problems!

 

Why start them so early then? for me, I'd wait a bit and get good sturdy plants

 

Yes, that's reasonable. I'm aiming for an early crop, so I grow with warmth, and they get going well enough, but of course they need more light than is available in the early months of the year, so they get a bit leggy (not significantly IMHO!!)

(I've got three Cues set, and forming fruit, on each plant as-of 1st May ...)

However, maybe that leggy-ness is an advantage in that when I pot them on they are not as buried as other plants might be?

 

A gro-light might be worth while then!

 

"A gro-light might be worth while then!"

Yes, I agree, I should do that.

Any suggestions anyone? (I seem to remember someone had an LED array thingie??)

 

"I'm starting a new batch this weekend as I think mine are still too weak and leggy"

I think it would be worth trying to not "plunge plant" them so that the stem below seed leaves is exposed. Mine were leggy (sown early) and probably stretched a bit more after pricking out, but there is probably 2" from soil to seed leaves now.

Fingers crossed they don't collapse and die now!!

 

Some sound advise for me also in this thread, as this is the first year I have grown cucumber. Out of four seeds one just faded away. another just refuses to grow anymore and the other two are doing just fine and will be looking good for planting out.(market more) in a week or two.
Thanks to your advise I feel they stand a good chance..:gnthb:
robert

 

I do keep mine in very high humidity when young - in a grow-house which is inside my conservatory. Probably overkill now, but back in March I think it helped.

 

When mine are ready for the final potting I pot them into bottomless pots and half sink these into the main pots which are stood in trays. I water mainly into the trays and feed into the top of the main pots. This keeps the lower stems and upper root areas fairly dry.
I've never been bother with basal stem rot since I adopted this method.

 

Your cucs look great Dave and I will try this double potting if I can get the blessed things to grow in the first place. I hope they're last years in the photo though, mine didn't even make it to seedling stage so I started two more seeds yesterday (it's all that was left in the packet) . Is it too late to start again?

Sheelagh:(

 

They are this year's Sheelagh (photo taken today) and were sown on 10th Feb. They were started in a heated propagator in the greenhouse and then brought into our porch where they'll remain until it's warm enough in the greenhouse.
No harm in trying to start some more seed now - it just means it will be a little later before you can start picking. I've got a second lot of plants destined for our polytunnel from seed I sowed about three weekd ago and they are only a couple of inches tall at present.

The double potting really works well. Before I started doing it I freqently lost a plant ot two due to basal rot.

 

If you are struggling with growing from seed it might be worth looking at some plants in your local garden centre. I reckon that 2 plants is plenty for a family of "modest cucumber eaters", so won't break the bank - provided they survive!