I’d Like To Introduce The Cuke
Raised Bed Gardening – Summer Vegetables Week 6
Making their first appearance in the garden this week is the Burpless Cucumber … two to be exact! I planted three of these cucumber vines when I started the garden, but because there was no room inside the raised bed, I decided to plant them next to the fence.
The ground is weedy and filled with roots in this area, and I didn’t add enough garden soil with perlite when I planted the vines, so it doesn’t hold the moisture well. Two of the vines died right away, but this one is hanging on for dear life. If these two cukes make it to maturity, I’ll feel good about it because they were given a less than desirable growing situation.
Next season, I plan to build a narrow raised bed next to the fence because it provides the perfect support for vines. I’m SO thankful that I left enough room so a narrow bed will fit and still leave a walkway between the two raised beds.
The watermelon is really growing now, AND it has company! A new golf ball sized melon appeared on the other vine this week. I had noticed a ‘bulb’ on the other vine last week, but this week it is bigger and looking more like a melon. The two cantaloupe vines have a profusion of blossoms, but no fruit yet.
The Better Boy tomatoes are growing steadily and looking really healthy. They are nearly the size of my fist now. I can hardly wait for a fresh BLT! The Roma tomatoes continue to be a magnet for tomato worms and stink bugs, but they haven’t bothered the Better Boy plants at all. I’m not sure why …
Keeping it real,
