Cues are up....

My Cucumbers are up and ready to be potted on ....i'm growing an early variety... Carmen F1...i've normally grown Telegraph and last year grew mini cues...thought i'd give these a try this year....Has anyone else grown Carmen F1's?

 

My Loofahs are up too, kept them next to the computer fan for a few days, they liked that

 

Hiya loli.

Never grown those, but isn't it a tad early? I won't sow mine until May..

 

I did think it was a wee bit early but the packet said they could be sown from January onwards think i've done well to resist while early March don't you Weather permitting i could be eating sweet corn and cues early May

 

Coming from another Yorkshire grower; I would like to hope so, but I doubt it!

When it comes to sowing times I let mother nature tell me when e.g.

When the snowdrops are in bloom; I sow varieties that require a long season e.g. Onions, Biennials Perennials that I didn't sow the previous autumn to save the need to look after them during the winter months!

When the Crocus are in bloom;I sow things such as Peppers, Tomatoes!

When the Daffodils are in bloom; This is the time when I get many of my vegetables and bedding plants sown.

When the Tulips are in bloom; I sow things like Runner Beans & Curcurbits.

When the Daffodils have died back; Its planting out time!

I have kept a diary of these dates for over twenty five years and the sowing dates shown on my website are an average of all these dates, thus catering for early / late seasons!

Note; and for general interest I would say mother nature has had a couple of weeks of a lay in this year compared to recent year!

 

I like that season-adjusted planting calendar ... I'll have to plant some Crocuses though

I've given up growing [Greenhouse/Indoor] Cucumbers from seed; the old adage "Cucumbers wake up each morning thinking of a new way to die" has meant I have done 2 or 3 sowings in previous years, and at over a quid-a-seed I didn't see the point - plants are cheaper in the garden centre when the time comes (and I don't think I've noticed much flavour-difference between the varieties I have grown, over the years ... "pass" on disease resistance they've all had mildew by the end of the season but I've just ignored it.

 

They would look beautiful in your woodland garden, Kristen

 

"Cucumbers wake up each morning thinking of a new way to die"
I like that Kristen
made I larf,
Jenny

 

Yes they would look a bit like this;

 

Looks fab, TG

 

Maybe i've been lucky but i haven't had much trouble growing cues in the past ...yes usually get plagued with mildew but nothing to worry about, still managed a decent crop....i could buy the plants but where's the fun in that...and it all adds to the excitement going into the greenhouse of a morning to see whether they've survived the night or not

 

I find the most common fault with Cucumbers is " neck rot" so to avoid this I fit them with gators as seen here;



Or create a watering hole to avoid wetting the stem at soil level ( where neck rot generally occurs) as seen here;

 

Blinking Heck TG ... Wish my greenhouse looked as organised as that. Maybe in the next life ...

They look lovely. For some reason I have never got around to planting Crocuses ... but when I do I'm going to plant them so that they spell out "Sow Peppers and Toms NOW"

 

My snow drops died, I haven't got crocuses and my daffodils have been in bloom for three weeks.......think I'd best make my own judgement on sowing times.