Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
propagator on a warm windowsill or cover them with cling film. If you have a
heated propagator, they are a strong candidate for space in it; otherwise move
them to an airing cupboard or similar snug spot each night. Once the seeds are
up take them out of the propagator and put them in a light, warm place but do
not allow the pot to dry out. As soon as daytime temperatures in the tunnel reach
21°C move the seedlings out to a bright area of tunnel staging for a few days,
covering with fleece at night to harden off.
Planting direct is also an option when the soil is well warmed. As when planting
in a module, seeds should be set on edge 1cm deep (see 'Growing', below, for
ground preparation). Direct sowing avoids possible damage to roots caused by
transplanting and can result in a very vigorous plant, but on the other hand it
puts the seedling right there in the bed when it's at its most vulnerable stage.
Unless you are absolutely sure that slugs and mice are not going to visit, you
should add some protection by covering with a bottle cloche - see Chapter 10,
page 170. By the time the plant is big enough to be getting a little crowded in its
bottle, mice will no longer be a problem and slugs will be denied access by the
simple copper ring.
Growing
Because of the risk of chilling damage it is not advisable to transplant the seed-
lings until you are sure that temperatures will not drop below 15°C. To help
things along, ensure that the earth is warm by covering it with a black plastic
sheet for a few days before planting out, and be ready to protect the seedlings
with a tent of horticultural fleece if temperatures drop below 10°C. If the plant
becomes damaged by an unexpected frost, don't struggle on, as stunted plants
rarely fruit well. There is plenty of time to start again.
Mound up the soil by 3-5cm and then plant a seedling into the mound. This helps
to keep the stem dry during watering, because although cucumbers are thirsty
plants they are also very prone to moulds and mildew. Dig a hole and carefully
place the biodegradable pot in its centre, gently filling the gaps around it. Don't
push on the earth to firm it up around the plant - you will almost certainly distort
the shape of the pot, damaging roots and thus holding the plant back. Instead,
water around the plant to settle the soil. Give the plants an organic liquid feed
once a week, or every other watering if you have badly drained soil, until they
reach a height of roughly 30cm, and twice a week thereafter.
Cucumbers are big plants, and although they will happily scramble along the
ground it is much more efficient to grow them vertically. Traditionally green-
house cucumbers are grown up a trellis with side-shoots trained horizontally,
but they do perfectly well using the unfussy string-support method as described
in Chapter 6 (page 51). If you grow in this way the plants can have as many side-
shoots as they like, although it's a good idea to nip off weaker-looking shoots a
 
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