Rosalind
Deeply Rooted
Cucumbers are really not doing well this year. I'm not sure why.
Basically, I planted about 48 cucumber seeds, both regular and pickling type, in late April/early May. There's nothing else in the bed other than some borage plants, which are fairly small and around the edge. Cukes were planted in the middle. Seed came from Seeds Of Change, and I have not had the best germination luck with their seeds.
Dirt is OK, I think--dirt consists of compost bought from a landscaper last year, our regular Massachusetts clay-n-rocks, and about three wheelbarrows' worth of extremely well-composted chicken litter. The neighboring beds, which contain strawberries, potatoes, and peppers, are made up of the same mix and they seem perfectly fine. Other curcurbit seeds planted around the same time (punkins, summer squash, winter squash) already have male flower buds and long tendrils and stuff.
Water is also OK. We've had well over an inch of rain per week. A little too much for my tastes, but I just took a straw/hay crop out of the backyard, that's how high the grass was after 3 weeks of not mowing.
Sun is good. Full sun in that particular bed for at least 10 hours/day.
I've only got three weeny little cuke sprouts. They're TEENY. They have about two true leaves on them. And they only sprouted maybe 2 weeks ago. Predators, including Mr. Cottontail, have been fenced out.
I don't get it. Do I need to start them indoors earlier, even though all my other squash-like plants seem to do fine direct-seeded? Will they tolerate being transplanted? Should I just do them in containers? Is there a trick I just don't know? Does the soil need to be genuinely hot in order to start cukes? Would a dark-colored mulch or row covers help early on, followed by straw in the late summer when they are setting fruit?
Basically, I planted about 48 cucumber seeds, both regular and pickling type, in late April/early May. There's nothing else in the bed other than some borage plants, which are fairly small and around the edge. Cukes were planted in the middle. Seed came from Seeds Of Change, and I have not had the best germination luck with their seeds.
Dirt is OK, I think--dirt consists of compost bought from a landscaper last year, our regular Massachusetts clay-n-rocks, and about three wheelbarrows' worth of extremely well-composted chicken litter. The neighboring beds, which contain strawberries, potatoes, and peppers, are made up of the same mix and they seem perfectly fine. Other curcurbit seeds planted around the same time (punkins, summer squash, winter squash) already have male flower buds and long tendrils and stuff.
Water is also OK. We've had well over an inch of rain per week. A little too much for my tastes, but I just took a straw/hay crop out of the backyard, that's how high the grass was after 3 weeks of not mowing.
Sun is good. Full sun in that particular bed for at least 10 hours/day.
I've only got three weeny little cuke sprouts. They're TEENY. They have about two true leaves on them. And they only sprouted maybe 2 weeks ago. Predators, including Mr. Cottontail, have been fenced out.
I don't get it. Do I need to start them indoors earlier, even though all my other squash-like plants seem to do fine direct-seeded? Will they tolerate being transplanted? Should I just do them in containers? Is there a trick I just don't know? Does the soil need to be genuinely hot in order to start cukes? Would a dark-colored mulch or row covers help early on, followed by straw in the late summer when they are setting fruit?
