Cucumbers Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a warm-season vegetable planted as seeds outside once the soil is warmed. As plants are frost-tender, it’s very important that you wait until there’s no chance of frost (at least 2 weeks after your last spring frost date).
An easy-care vegetable that loves sun and water, cucumbers grow quickly as long as they receive consistent watering. Most varieties will grow in any amount of space, thanks to the cucumber plant’s ability to climb.
There are two types of cucumber plants: vining cucumbers and bush cucumbers. The most common varieties grow on vigorous vines shaded by large leaves. The growth of these plants is fast, and the crop yield is abundant if you care for them properly. Vining varieties grow up a trellis or fence. They will be cleaner—versus those that grow atop soil—often more prolific, and easier to pick.
Bush cucumbers are, however, nicely suited to containers and small gardens. Make successive plantings (every two weeks for continued harvests). In already-warm summer soil, cucumbers will grow quickly and ripen in about six weeks!
Of course, cucumbers are usually first on the list with pickling potential! (Learn more about pickling.) We recommend several prolific varieties below bred especially for pickling, such as heirloom ‘Boston Pickling’. For crispy pickles, be sure to prepare them within a few hours of harvesting!

Planting

• Cucumber plants are seeded or transplanted outside in the ground no earlier than 2 weeks after last frost date. Cucumbers are extremely susceptible to frost damage; the soil must be at least 70ºF for germination. Do not plant outside too soon!
• Before you plant outside, select a site with full sun.
• Soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.0.
• Cucumbers require fertile soil. Mix in compost and/or aged manure before planting to a depth of 2 inches and work into the soil 6 to 8 inches deep. Make sure that soil is moist and well-drained, not soggy.
• Improve clay soil by adding organic matter. Improve dense, heavy soil by adding peat, compost or rotted manure. (Get a soil test if you are unsure of your soil type; contact your local county cooperative extension.) Light, sandy soils are preferred for northern gardens, as they warm quickly in the spring. See our guide to soil amendments.
• Plant seedlings one inch deep and about 36 to 60 inches apart, depending on variety. For vines trained on a trellis, space plants 1 foot apart.
• For an early crop, start cucumber seeds indoors about 3 weeks before you transplant them in the ground. They like bottom heat of about 70ºF (21ºC). If you don’t have a heat mat, put the seeds flat on top of the refrigerator or perch a few on top of the water heater. 
• If you live in the cooler climates, you can help warm the soil by covering the hill or row with black plastic.
• Once the ground is warm, mulch with pine straw, chopped leaves, or another organic mulch to keep pests at bay, and also keep bush types off the ground to avoid disease.
• A trellis is a good idea if you want the vine to climb, or if you have limited space. Trellising also protects the fruit from damage from lying on the moist ground. See how to build a trellis and support for vining vegetables.

Care

• The main plant care requirement for cucumbers is water—consistent watering! They need one inch of water per week (more if temperatures are sky high). Put your finger in the soil and when it is dry past the first joint of your finger, it is time to water. Inconsistent watering leads to bitter-tasting fruit.
• Water slowly in the morning or early afternoon, avoiding the leaves so that you don’t get leaf diseases which will ruin the plant. If possible, water your cucumbers with a soaker hose or drip irrigation to keep the foliage dry. 
• Mulch to hold in soil moisture.
• Cover seeds with netting or a berry basket if you have pests; this will keep them from digging out the seeds.
• When seedlings emerge, begin to water frequently, and increase to a gallon per week after fruit forms.
• When seedlings reach 4 inches tall, thin plants so that they are 1½ feet apart.
• If you’ve worked organic matter into the soil before planting, you may only need to side-dress your plants with compost or well-rotted manure.
• If you wish, use a liquid fertilizer from your garden store such as vegetable plant food which is low nitrogen/high potassium and phosphorus formula. Apply at planting, 1 week after bloom, and every 3 weeks, directly to the soil around the plants. Or, you can work a granular fertilizer into the soil. Do not over-fertilize or the fruits will get stunted.
• If you have limited space or would prefer vertical vines, set up trellises early to avoid damage to seedlings and vines.
• Spray vines with sugar water to attract bees and set more fruit.http://www.almanac.com/plant/cucumbers?trk_msg=RRS7HF14CEK495HFKQF487KNI0&trk_contact=EEBLFVJ2I0VAQT9EM5JFVJAK9O&trk_sid=LGS3583EUI9A5BDRN1NA6RH3C0&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Cucumbers+(title)&utm_campaign=Companion+Daily

COMPANION PLANTING

Rhubarb

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable, though it is generally used as a fruit in desserts and jams. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest your own rhubarb.
Of the rhubarb plant, only the stalks are eaten. These have a rich, tart flavor. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous, so be sure that they are not ingested. Rhubarb is easy to grow, but needs cool weather to thrive.

Planting

• Before planting, eliminate all perennial weeds.
• Choose a site that is well-drained, fertile, and preferably in full sunlight. Rhubarb does best where the average temperature falls below 40ºF in the winter and below 75ºF in the summer.
• Plant one-year rhubarb crowns in early spring as soon as the ground is workable, when the roots are still dormant and before growth begins or plants are just beginning to leaf out. 
• Rhubarb can also be planted in the fall after dormancy has set in.
• Dig large bushel basket-size holes. Space rhubarb plants about 4 feet apart and plant the roots 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil.
• Be sure to mix compost, rotted manure, or anything high in organic matter in the soil. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and need this organic matter. Don’t add a chemical fertilizer when planting rhubarb or during the first year of growth. Direct contact with nitrates can kill your rhubarb plants. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting. http://www.almanac.com/plant/rhubarb?trk_msg=3448JLNTP68KH5JPI3N1JNQS08&trk_contact=EEBLFVJ2I0VAQT9EM5JFVJAK9O&trk_sid=U1IJ09VUJAA08HNR4R9451CRF0&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Rhubarb+(title)&utm_campaign=Companion+Daily

Strawberries

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Strawberries

Sweet, juicy strawberries are treats when right off the plant. Supermarket berries tend to be tart with grainy texture; this is because the natural sugar in the berries begins converting to starch as soon as it is plucked from the plant. It’s definitely worth your while to try growing strawberries, and the good news is that they are relatively easy to grow if you have full sun.
Strawberry plants come in three types:

• Day-Neutral: Insensitive to day length, these varieties produce buds, fruits and runners continuously if temperature remains between 35 and 85. Production is less than that of Junebearers.
• Everbearer: These varieties form buds during the long days of summer and the short days of autumn. The summer-formed buds flower and fruit in autumn, and the autumn-formed buds fruit the following spring.
• Junebearer: Length-of-day sensitive, these varieties produce buds in the autumn, flowers and fruits the following spring, and runners during the long days of summer.

For the home garden, we recommend Junebearers. Although you will have to wait a year for fruit harvesting, it will be well worth it. http://www.almanac.com/plant/strawberries?trk_msg=3448JLNTP68KH5JPI3N1JNQS08&trk_contact=EEBLFVJ2I0VAQT9EM5JFVJAK9O&trk_sid=U1IJ09VUJAA08HNR4R9451CRF0&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Strawberries+(read+more)&utm_campaign=Companion+Daily

Irises

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Irises

The tall, beautiful iris, named after the Greek goddess who rode rainbows, comes in many magical colors.
Every gardener wants this perennial. Despite its divine origins, it is hardy, reliable, and easy to grow. Irises also attract butterflies and hummingbirds and make lovely cut flowers.
There are some 300 species in the genus Iris. The most familiar irises are the tall (at least 28 inches) bearded irises (Iris germanica).
The distinctive flowers have three large outer petals called “falls” and three inner upright petals called “standards.” The falls may have beards or crests. Bearded iris are so-called because they have soft hairs along the center of the falls. In crested iris, the hairs form a comb or ridge.
Most irises flower in early summer. Some, mostly bearded hybrids, are remontant, flowering again later in the summer.

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Phlox How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Phlox

Phlox

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Phlox

Phlox are perennials and a favorite choice among wildflowers. These plants sport many star-shaped, colorful flowers when in bloom.
Because there are so many varieties, you can find a type of phlox for almost any garden. Phlox make great ground cover, and you can compliment them with other varieties of ground cover. They are easy to care for and low maintenance. Add some phlox to any bouquet for some nice fragrance, too.

Planting

• Use a garden fork or tiller to prepare your garden bed. Loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
• It is easier to grow phlox from cuttings/transplants than seeds.
• Plant phlox in the spring and space the plants 1 to 2 feet apart. If you are moving a plant from a pot, dig a hole about twice the size of the pot’s diameter and place the plant so that the top of the root ball is even with the soil’s surface. Fill in around the root ball and remember to water it thoroughly.

There are three different categories for growth requirements:

1. Woodland species (like Blue phlox and Creeping phlox) like evenly moist, humus-rich soil, and full to partial sun.
2. Low, mounding phlox (like Sand phlox and Chattahoochee) like average, well-drained, sandy or loamy soil, and full sun.
3. Border phlox (like Carolina phlox, Meadow phlox, and Garden phlox) like moist, well-drained, and average to rich soil, and full to partial sun.

Care

• If you receive less than 1 inch of rain a week, remember to regularly water your plants throughout the summer.
• Each spring, put a thin layer of compost and a 2-inch layer of mulch around the plants to help keep the soil moist and control weeds.
• Remember to remove the dead/faded flowers so that your plants can rebloom.
• If you have tall phlox, cut the stems back to about 1 to 2 inches above the soil after the first killing frost. (See local frost dates.) Divide tall garden phlox every 2 to 3 years to ensure healthy and disease-free plants.

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Rhododendrons

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Rhododendrons and azaleas, both from the genus Rhododendron, have long been mainstays of late spring because of their spectacular clusters of showy blooms—plus, large green leaves that often stay green through winter.
The flowers are usually tubular-, funnel-, or bell-shaped—and often fragrant. The leaves of the smaller azalea are usually pointed and narrow; the leaves of the rhododendron are generally large and leathery.
These shrubs prefer climates with adequate rainfall and moist summers. The two main azalea groups, evergreen and deciduous (varieties that drop their leaves in the fall) can be found in nearly every part of North America, from the frosty Canadian plains to tropical Florida. The rhododendron types are fussier, preferring environments where it is neither too hot nor too cold (Zones 5 to 8). They need a certain amount of chilling to develop strong flower buds.
With thousands of varieties, there are rhododendrons and azaleas for just about every landscape situation. There are low-growing ground cover azaleas, plants that grow from 1 to 2 feet, as well as plants that can grow up to 25 feet tall. They come in many flower colors, including pink, red, white, yellow, and purple. Though most plants flower in the spring, there are also summer-blooming varieties that add color and charm to the garden. 

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