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I'm not a good gardener but I've finally cracked cucumber-growing

submitted by paul_neri to Gardening 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:02:49 ago (+7/-2)     (Gardening)

https://i.ibb.co/HChR47X/IMG-7904.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/pym0bwk/IMG-7905.jpg

And it's due to the growing-medium and a sunny spot. In the past I didn't pay enough attention to the growing-medium and used soil/compost which, when baked in the sun, became as hard as rock and didn't drain well either.

I cut a lot of grass but can't put it on the garden generally as mulch (hay) because of the fire-risk. So I mix the decomposed grass with decomposed leaf litter, put it in my tubs and the plants love it. No soil because there is none unless I buy it. My mix probably contains too much nitrogen which promotes excessive leaf/stem growth but so far I've had a modest potato harvest and the cucumber crop is looking to be a great success. I've planted capsicums in the mixture and they are yet to strut their stuff but...fingers crossed. So I'm rather chuffed that my "soil" works!


25 comments block

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[ - ] ProudRebel 4 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:23:18 ago (+4/-0)

Now if you'll just stop putting them up your ass.

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 2 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:34:18 ago (+2/-0)

Reported.

[ - ] recon_johnny 1 point 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 13:01:39 ago (+1/-0)

Yeah, but is it truthful though....

[ - ] SumerBreeze 3 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:54:14 ago (+3/-0)

I’ve heard you’ll get spicy cucumbers if you plant peppers next to them. Always plant by seeds directly into the ground - replanting or transplanting always stunts the plant.

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 0 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 23:15:43 ago (+0/-0)

Funny you should say that because in my zeal to be a better gardener (like the missus who does things by the book and reaps the rewards) I planted most of my cucumbers in seed trays and some directly and decided it wasn't worth the seed-tray-planting as the directly-planted cucumbers did fine.

[ - ] Sector2 2 points 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 00:32:09 ago (+2/-0)

That just means you didn't start the tray seeds early enough. Start them indoors under fluorescents or LEDs a couple months before they'd survive outdoors. Then you put out plants instead of seeds once it's warm enough.

You germinate twice or more the number you actually want to grow, then discard the inferior seedlings.

[ - ] canbot 1 point 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 00:45:47 ago (+1/-0)

I have heard of several people learning the hard way that planting early actually produces smaller harvests. I also assumed that more growimg time equals more growth, but it seems that plants are sensitive to light and heat conditions either on germination or in the early growth period which can stunt thier development.

My current theory is that plants have a developmental stage that melonates different parts of their DNA which then causes it to activate genes according to thier local conditions. Short daylight and colder temps prepare it for harsher conditions.

[ - ] Sector2 0 points 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 18:32:35 ago (+0/-0)

I've grown tens of thousands of plants with zero exposure to the sun or outdoors. Experimenting is fun, so what if you did half starting indoors in trays, and the other half as seeds in the ground when the weather warms up? See what happens.

[ - ] canbot 1 point 4 monthsJan 6, 2024 02:54:36 ago (+1/-0)

That's my plan, but I haven't done it yet. I can barely keep track of what species of peppers I planted where. Life is too busy and that stuff is all left for the spare moments between the important stuff.

[ - ] Sector2 0 points 4 monthsJan 6, 2024 10:09:28 ago (+0/-0)

Same with me. Saved seeds from 2022 turned out to be a lot of crosses. Pods are close to finishing now, with some real oddballs.

[ - ] Spaceman84 3 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:24:52 ago (+4/-1)

Your mom knows how to make cucumbers grow. She taught you how to milk cucumbers too. Faggot.

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 2 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:34:07 ago (+2/-0)

Reported.

[ - ] Anus_Expander 2 points 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:51:14 ago (+3/-1)

Shove em up your bumhole, then hang yourself

[ - ] recon_johnny 1 point 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 13:03:00 ago (+1/-0)

When I tried those, the meat of the cucumbers was too small in comparison to the rind. I grew them in raised beds. So Cal weather/climate, shaded but with partial sun.

Any tips on that?

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 1 point 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 16:42:53 ago (+1/-0)

"the meat of the cucumbers was too small in comparison to the rind". Sounds odd. Maybe you were growing the smaller, bush cucumbers. I suggest you get the standard long cucumber and go for it. If your soil is friable (loose) and well drained you should be right.

[ - ] recon_johnny 0 points 4 monthsJan 5, 2024 14:17:46 ago (+0/-0)

Come Spring, I'll do another set of raised beds and will try. Thnx.

[ - ] boekanier 1 point 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 01:26:32 ago (+1/-0)

you're joking neri, you are a good gardener

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 0 points 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 06:15:49 ago (+0/-0)

well, um, thank you bro. Ain't gunna argue with that!

[ - ] Anus_Expander 2 points 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 06:55:40 ago (+2/-0)

KYS anyway

[ - ] albatrosv15 1 point 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 23:18:26 ago (+1/-0)

So is your Canon Ixus a good camera?

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 1 point 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 23:27:37 ago (+1/-0)*

It's reasonable for what I paid. I've got a better ixus (or whatever) that was more expensive and takes very good (detail) pics imo.The missus snavelled it and overloaded it and...groan.

This pic was taken with the better Canon:

https://i.ibb.co/BKx5PgK/Perfection-is-a-flower.jpg

Edit: As an amazing co-incidence would have it...not long after posting this comment the missus turned up with her camera for me to upload three years of pics. There were 187 items.Quite astounding the battery kept some charge for that long.

[ - ] gimpyoldman 1 point 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:40:21 ago (+1/-0)

Don't let them get too big before harvest them. They get tougher and the seeds get bigger.

[ - ] paul_neri [op] 1 point 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:44:56 ago (+1/-0)

Yep but what tends to happen in my difficult-to-manage veggie patch is that the little critters hide from me. They don't want to be harvested and so I miss them and they do grow big and bitter. Last season I missed a monster growing quietly out-of-sight. They are masters of camoflauge!

[ - ] TheOriginal1Icemonkey 1 point 4 monthsJan 3, 2024 22:23:53 ago (+1/-0)

Right on!

[ - ] VitaminSieg 0 points 4 monthsJan 4, 2024 22:33:15 ago (+0/-0)

queeri grows his own dildos. More news at 10.