Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Everyone

Have you missed me

I am a reasonably good gardener but I am damned if I can get cucumber's to germinate everything else is not a problem just sow the seed and bingo trays full of seedlings.
Every year I sow my cucumber seed in 4 inch pots 2 to a pot on there side in good growing compost that's been pre-soaked with cheshunt compound, the light levels are good and they were sown in a heated greenhouse.
I really am at loss as to what I am doing wrong, its not the seed as it has happened for years and I couldn't be that unlucky in getting duff seed for the last 5/6 years.
Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Regards

Arnie

Yes.

Not had too much trouble with cucumbers myself.

I have had mixed results in getting cucumbers to germinate. In the past i have some years blamed some very poor quality compost which caused failures across a wide range of vegetable seedlings. I grow the mini cucumber varieties which are very prolific and only need a couple of plants to supply our household so obviously some seeds in the packets are two or three years old by the time they are sown, which may have some influence on germination rates. I sowed a coupe of pots yesterday and this year am starting them off in the airing cupboard rather than on the window ledge to see if the extra heat makes any difference.
I don,t know what nighttime temperature your heated greenhouse reaches but perhaps it is still a little too low? Or possibly the compost is a little too dry, or too wet? It's all a bit of a frustrating mystery sometimes. If only seeds could communicate when their environment wasn't right!!

I sow one to a pot (don't approve of wasting good plants!) on about 24 April. They go in a heated propagator as they prefer bottom heat to germinate. The first five last year were through in four days and the whole dozen three days after that.
Go for it!

I wouldn't sow this early, if it was me. It's far easier to give later-sown plants sustained light and warmth, which can be a bit of a struggle this early in the season. They grow quickly and soon catch up from a later start for as much as makes no difference from earlier-sown ones. Be sure to really crank up the bottom heat, and don't let it drop for a minute, to get them above ground.

Dear Arnie,
Cucumbers need at least 16C to germinate. Do them indoors if you have not got this temperature constantly in your glasshouse. They need a higher temp than other cucurbits.

Open the inner packet at least a week before you wish to sow them, this allows the seeds to absorb a little moisture from the atmosphere. They are often dried too much by the seed companies and this can cause failure because before the seed has had chance to germinate it rots. Don't water every day as this will also promote rotting.

Lay the seed on the surface of the compost and cover with either vermiculite or perlite. Cucumbers (and other cucurbits) need a lot of light on the seeds to germinate and sowing them into the compost is not good for this reason. I think it is an evolutionary thing to prevent germination inside the fruit and failure of the reproductive cycle.

I also add about 1/4 sand (or perlite but not vermiculite)to the compost to aid drainage. Cucumbers come from arid lands and good drainage is essential to prevent rot whilst germination takes place. I tend to germinate them in small cells as it is less wasteful of good seed compost. I note that you are trying to germinate in four inch pots, I don't think the heat is getting to the top of the pot from your heating mat.

Hope these tips help.
Regards Sally Wright.

She that must be obeyed has the ones sown in the unheated greenhouse showing 2 well formed leaves maybe 2½" across.

I was reading up on planting, (interfering as she refers to it) and it was suggested that they be planted into 10" pots in the greenhouse.

I couldn't see any where about planting directly into the ground which would be our usual practice, I like the idea of them being planted in a pot in situ, I can see watering perhaps being a problem.

What would the pros and cons be.
Thanks

For what it's worth I grow my mini cucumbers in the open ground in a protected south facing border and generally have good results. We have quick drying stoney soil into which a lot of compost is dug so they do need to be kept well watered, and I also lightly mist them whenever I can remember to do so. If it's a cold summer they don't thrive so well but in warm weather they seem to grow quite happily outdoors. The alternative to growing in a pot outdoors would be to dig a well composted hole in open ground and plant them in the middle of it.

Mine have just poked their heads through today. Several in a 3" pot to prick out later. They are in a heated propagator with no lid on in an unheated green house. Took about 10 days.

any views on planting out in the greenhouse in pots, is there any advantage.

I have only ever grown cucumbers in the open ground - outdoors and in the polytunnel. As they are thirsty plants and have a surprisingly extensive root system, I should have thought that growing in pots would be a disadvantage.

Hi to everyone,

Sorry for not replying sooner not enough hours in the day of late thanks for all your reply's, it would appear that I am doing everything right so we will see how my second batch gets on the only thing that I have not done is as Sally advises and that is to open the seed packet a week before sowing, so as I write they are open and waiting to be planted in a couple of days.
I will let you all know how I get on

Thanks again

Arnie

A dozen seeds sown Sunday with bottom heat overnight. Four days later the first six are through, and the rest should be through by tomorrow.

I've stopped bothering sowing my own cucumber seed and just buy a plant from the garden center. I buy Femspot usually, only female flowers so no bitterness and very productive. If you buy seed you only get about three seeds per packet anyway, so buying a ready grown plant is more economical.