Squash (Cucurbita pepo), cucumber (Cucranis sativus), and sweet melon (Cucumis dudain) were grown in sand cultures with N supply concentrations as the variable. For several reasons, total‐N values were found to be less satisfactory than NO ‐N for the purpose of determining the critical nitrogen concentration for maximum growth. Concentrations of total‐N in mature petioles were higher in plants severely deficient in N than in less deficient plants, characteristic of a Piper‐Steenbjerg effect.