Billy wrote:
In article ,
Steve wrote:

I've noticed in past years that when my cucumber vines get about 3 feet
long, SOMETHING happens to the growing tip. It gets kind of brown up one
side of the stem. The tip curls over and then dies.
Eventually the tip-less vine makes one or more side branch and the vine
grows on but sometimes the new tips die off too.
Today I noticed the first tips starting to be affected for this year. So
what does that? I've never seen any visible pest. I haven't used a
magnifying glass or anything.

Steve in the Adirondacks

Might look at

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publi...HG_2004-07.pdf

http://gardening.about.com/od/proble...umber_Wilt.htm
or
http://www.essentialgardenguide.com/...ems/9/Cucumber
/

Well, this isn't going to be as easy as I hoped.
The web sites you gave have a lot of information, especially that 3rd
one. NOTHING there even comes close to describing the problem I see on
my cucumbers. The only possibilities, as far as I can tell, are mites
and thrips. Even those pests aren't described as affecting the growing
tips. I have noticed that the biggest leaf (half inch wide at most) at
the affected tip looks dried up as if mites had sucked the sap out of
it. Again, I think my next move should be a close inspection with a
magnifying glass. I didn't think to do that today.

Steve