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

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
/
--

Billy
Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo...eature=related

it could be Leafminers and if ti brown spot as you said then its Verticillium wilt

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

mor wrote:
'Steve[_2_ Wrote:
;803693']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

it could be Leafminers and if ti brown spot as you said then its
Verticillium wilt


Thanks but I can't find anything about miners affecting the growing tip.
It certainly isn't a wilt. Only an inch at the growing tip dries up and
dies. The rest of the plant continues on as normal.

Steve

This is a long shot but deficiency in either calcium or boron can cause the death of the growing point in cucumbers, but I am sure you would see symptoms in other plants. Calcium is common in most soils (though poor compost mixes can be deficient) but uneven watering schedules can cause calcium uptake problems. Hard water contains calcium as well so it is even more unlikely in these areas (unless using rain water). Boron is common in plant matter so good compost should be fine, or mixing home compost into soil. You should be able to find 'Borax' or similar to rectify a deficiency.