I sowed some Cucumber seeds in the weekend, there are two conditions that are essential for successful cucumber growing, one heaps of water the other heaps of nutrients.
In this patch there has been clover growing for the last six months or so, this cover crop is great for raising the levels of beneficial microbes and nitrogen in the soil. You can plant your seedlings straight through the clover and let the cover crop aid the growth of the plants, there is a little competition for water but keeping the sun off the soil stops a lot of evaporation and the benefits far out weigh the minus's.
Prior to sowing the seed I dug a good sized hole where the seeds were going and placed a small shovel full of chicken manure, organic fertiliser is far superior to any artificial fert for sustained nutrient release and general good health of your garden. Chicken manure has a higher nitrogen content than other animal manures which is an essential element for cucumbers.
This is the third season of Organic Gardening for this patch and one of the obvious plus's is the only insects to be seen any where are lady bugs natures pest predators! As the soil becomes healthier so do the plants and general garden environment and insects become a no show.
When I replaced the soil I worked the clover into the ground above the manure and then sowed the seeds into this. I then gave the seeds and soil a real good soak of water to begin the growing process. As you can see from the photo the next part is to cover the soil with some leaf litter or wood shavings to protect the seeds from drying out in the sun. Water daily until the seedlings appear. In time the clover will grow back to replace the sod buried and supply the plants with goodies for the growing season.
I didn't have time but I will be laying some trickle irrigation to keep the plants well watered without wetting the foliage, when cucumbers have their leaves wet constantly they are prone to fungal diseases such as molds and mildews so avoid wetting the whole plant when watering if you can.
These are going to be grown up a fence to save on garden space. The fence is two meters high to accommodate the sprawling plants and endless supply of fruit.
Be Happy,
Barry.
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