To tie or not to tie?
I have been given a punnet of black jack zuchinni and one of lebanese cucumber and I wanted to know if these require a trellis or something to climb on. A friend said that she thought the cucumber should be planted at the top of a mound... I have been told I can put three plants on the one big mound.
"Most cucumnbers are usually allowed to trail, but to save space you can train them over a trellis or similar supporting structure... it ensures good air circulation for the vine and it lifts much of the crop away from ground dwelling pests." Thank you Stephanie Alexander (Kitchen Garden Companion)
Mounding the plants helps because they like rich, moist soil but not too wet. Creating a small hill for your Cucumbers to dominate ensures excess water is drained away. 3 plants on the hill helps pollination. All the cucurbits (Zucchini, Pumpkin, Squash...) can be a little finicky when it comes to pollination especially if the conditions are not absolutely ideal. plants grouped together helps simplify the process of getting pollen from one flower to another.
Zucchini? They grow in a mound essentailly so climbing is not an issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment