Cucumbers a warm season crop are members of the same family as squash pumpkins muskmelons and gourds.
Planting cucumbers with plastic sheeting.
It works real slick for the larger seeds like the corn seed squash melons and cucumbers which is what we will show you today.
Remay cloches plastic sheeting or cold frames.
To grow cucumbers look for a growing spot that gets plenty of full sun and has loose sandy soil.
Plastic sheeting has many uses in the home garden.
To speed up the soil warming process use season extenders such as row covers e g.
Cucumbers can also be planted in mounds or hills that are spaced 1 to 2 feet apart with 2 to 3 seeds planted in each mound.
Ranging in size from tiny gherkins to 20 inch serpent like fruits most cucumbers grow on vines.
Cucumbers are notorious for their need for high soil fertility and boosting the dirt s nutritional content before planting hastens plant development.
There are no weeds.
This means that the growing area warms up earlier in the spring and the.
Plant seeds 1 inch deep and about 2 to 3 feet apart in a row depending on variety see seed packet for details.
Space cucumbers 36 to 60 inches apart 12 inches apart for trellised plants in an area with abundant sun and fertile well drained soil with a ph of 6 0 to 6 8.
You re covering and smothering where the weeds would normally be growing.
The first year we used black plastic mulch i had cucumber plants popping out of the soil four days after the seeds had been put in the ground.
Black plastic prevents weed growth eliminating the need for hand weeding between your plants.
For vines trained on a trellis space plants 1 foot apart.
But where there s a will there s a way is a very true statement.
How to plant cucumbers.
They can t grow if there is a black plastic sheet.
It also helps warm up the soil and keeps it warm.
A layer of black plastic over bare soil raises the soil temperature 3 to 5 degrees f to a depth of between 2 and 6 inches.
Both black and clear plastic also preserve soil.
The question is how do we plant seeds into the plastic mulch.
Quick guide to growing cucumbers.
Plant cucumbers when average daily temperatures reach the mid 70s f.
This is vital when growing warm season plants such as most vegetables.
Like i said itty bitty miracle.
When the cucumbers sprout give them about 1 inch of water per week and add a trellis for their vines to attach to which will help.