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| The cucumber trough, im expecting big things from these girls this year, except that one on the right, already a disappointment |
Considering I have seven cucumbers grown from seed this year already, you may have thought I would not need to buy anymore. Need rarely comes into my purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to plants. I enjoy having as many different varieties as possible, and a girl can only grow so many. So when I was at the garden centre buying my tomato plants a few weeks ago I also threw in a couple of sneaky cucumbers.
I have bemoaned numerous times that I find growing cucumbers intensely annoying. Satisfying, but annoying. A cucumber plant is as likely to keel over and wilt as it is give you cucumbers, and I was not successful at growing them from seed either last year. Having learnt my lesson with warm rooms, I have discovered the real culprits in being cucumber pains are shop bought ones. They look great in the shop, but get them home and they turn on you.
I would like to say that the reason I only picked up three varieties is because I knew I had so many already at home, but I would be lying. The real reason is thats all the selection there was. If there had been more, id have bought it.
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| A beautiful pair of Delta Star cucumbers from last year |
I picked up a Delta Star cucumber because I grew it last year and the cucumbers it produces are just so attractive. Tasty too, but predominently good looking. Although this is meant to be an indoor cucumber exclusively for those with a greenhouse, mine sat on the patio last year and was very productive. Being somebody who likes value for money I actually got two plants for the price of one as I managed to find a pot that had two plants growing in it. Made me very happy.
The second variety I bought was Pipinex. This is a new one to me, but the picture looked nice, and I thought what the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound.
Lastly I bought a super cute mini cucumber. Like a gherkin size-wise, but still a cucumber. I was so looking forward to having whole mini snack-box cucinos to take to work. But alas, it was not to be. I think the cucino lasted all of five minutes before something came along and razed it to the ground. Sheered, clean off, right at the soil level. I didn't think slugs were interested in cucumbers, but something of that nature ate this.
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| One unhappy cucumber |
So left with just the three I set about planting, as one usually does. And this is where it all started going wrong. The two delta stars I decided to keep together rather than try and split apart, and they are fine. But the pipinex? A different story! I gave that cucumber one of my prime spots, at one end of my large trough that I bought last year specifically for the growing of cucumbers, snuggled in with three home grown ones. But rather then stretch its rooty toes into my manure-rich soil and grow big and strong, the damn thing wilted. Initially I thought it must have a virus or a bug, but after pulling off most of the wilted leaves I spotted that the stem had started to go orange at the soil level and had either rotten or been eaten through. It might have been something I did, who knows. Death was slow but steady, I tried to be supportive with a little cane but it was in vain.
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| rot, or nibble |
So having freed up the end space in the bed I stopped off at the garden centre for a replacement and picked up a Fernspot. After all, cucumbers don't come back from the dead do they? They do however have little friends. On returning home with my new plant I discovered to my horror two baby seedlings in place of my original plant. Obviously this isn't really something to show horror at, but it threw my replacement plans out the window. Basically cucumber seeds did what cucumber seeds always do which is don't grow in your special seed prepared soil, but burst into life months later in some random location. Which is great because now means that not only am I not without a pipinex, but now have two. But also means I have a cucumber and nowhere to plant it. The trials and tribulations of cucumber growing continue.
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| Two babies surrounding the withered body of their predecessor. These better not let me down now |
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