Almost time for cucumbers
The Sassafras Hill Cucumber Consortium gathered for a quick confab regarding where to plant cucumbers this season. Members sat beneath a hickory tree and sipped mullein/mint tea on a cloudy afternoon. It was actually a short discussion because the Tomato Association and the Peppers Are Sweet Suite had staked their claims early and not much space was left.
No problem. The Cucu Cons gladly claimed the bed between Main Street and Everybody Lane with Occidental Road at the bottom and Wiggle Way on top. Cukes have never grown there before. Along the Main Street side was the world’s most ambitious patch of oregano. No problem, the Cucu Cons thought, because it says in the by-laws the garden crew is responsible for maintaining that – not us – and they instead focused on infrastructure.
The soil remained in piled-on condition from the winter, and that’s okay, but winter returned to Nunavut and April is the plantingest month, so an update was in order. The soil amendment subcommittee filed this report: 1) wait until soil has warmed sufficiently (late April) to plant seeds; 2) since cucumbers prefer slightly acidic soil like we have in our area, prepare soil by removing mulch to be saved for later, adding compost, aged manure and mostly neutral soil amendments (which means lower in potassium than phosphorus); put mulch and leaves back on until seed planting day because earthworms and other garden soil workers work best under cover.
“Which varieties should we plant?” a young Cucu Con inquired.
“It will be okay whichever ones we pick,” an elder replied. “Some folks might think ‘half of one, six dozen of the other.’ Fair enough, but I suggest we go see which packets are in our basket and apply our imagination to those.”
Not all inventories are boring. In the basket, the Cucu Cons found packets for two Asian varieties (one extra-long and one main crop), one pickling packet (and it’s old), five main crops (one aging, the others way old), and three packets of a bush variety (a gift from a friend and they’re getting older). In a fit of spontaneity, I took packets of seven- and eight-year-old seeds outside and planted them by a trellis in a flower bed in front of the house. Not in the garden. Built up the soil and everything. Don’t tell me gardeners aren’t exciting. What if it works?!? Seeds were not getting younger.
Because of events like this one, the Cucu Cons set a goal for this season: set a new Olympic pickle record. No problem! The plan is to install five tall circular structures 18 inches in diameter. Seeds will be planted in the warm, fertile soil around the bottom, vines to gleefully climb toward the sky, cucumbers ready to harvest at eye level. Sounds good so far.
I hope cucumbers like oregano because they will be neighbors. Some sources warn us that cucumbers are not fans of smelly herb companions, but others say go ahead with dill, basil, marigolds and chives. Depends on whom you ask. Along the way, I have innocently planted dill and possibly other misdemeanors near cucumber vines with no obvious ill consequence. Cucu cons encourage you to do it your way. Regardless of companions, pay attention to soil and water.
Two of the towers will support the Asian varieties and two will host main crop varieties. The fifth will be saved for a surprise new packet from a rack in town. A valid ponderment is why gardeners keep seeds until they get too old. Well… packets of seeds for backyard gardens last longer than one or two seasons, plus there are varieties you haven’t tried yet such as Jibai Shimoshirazu, which the catalog made me buy. So old seeds accumulate.
Seeds stored in a socially relevant environment might last five years or longer. Downright wondrous life stays in seeds in packets in a covered basket on a dim shelf for so long. All we are saying is give life a chance.