Cucumbers - is it time yet??

I have the urge........

You know, the one to sow more seeds, those being cucumber seeds - is it too early? I would be starting them in the house if it makes much difference?

 

I'm waiting another couple of weeks before sowing mine FC. Last year I sowed on 8th April, indoors under growlights and they romped away, trouble was we had a cold spring so I couldn't plant them in the greenhouse till 1st June and they were getting pretty big indoors by then.

 

Aye, I think you are right - I just popped out to the shed and the wind would cut you in two; bitterly cold.

 

Feeling the temperature outside this morning, I won't be sowing anything - - - blimmin' freezing!

 

The problem with starting cucumbers too early is that they romp away indoors and you run out of space, then when they go into the greenhouse and you get a cold night or two they just sit and sulk for weeks and some just die off. Later sowings allow the plant to grow unchecked at a nice steady rate and will produce fruit before an earlier sown plant that has been cold shocked.

 

Yes they are very expensive per seed. In some years I've bought F1 cucumber plants at Garden Centres, at around £1 per plant it's about the same as buying the seed and faffing about growing them on. The last two years I've grown them from F1 seed bought for 50p in the Wyevale winter sale.