Nature and Gardening

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All things green, outdoors, and nature-y. Whether it's animals in their natural habitat, hiking trails and mountains, or planting a little garden for yourself (and everything in between), you can talk about it here.

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Seeking advice for vegetable gardening (beehaw.org)

submitted 4 months ago by remington@beehaw.org to c/greenspace@beehaw.org

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So far I've planted fruit-bearing trees and other perennials over the past 12 years living in rural Maine. I have zero experience with annual vegetable gardening. My, initial, plan is to start with one vegetable next spring/summer. I've chosen cucumbers since it is the most popular amongst my immediate family members (wife and two boys).

The motivation behind this is NOT for sustenance. It is to add an enjoyable hobby for my self. In the off chance that it is NOT enjoyable, then I haven't invested too much time, effort and money. If I end up enjoying it (which I believe I will), then starting small would be less overwhelming and conducive to a gradual learning experience. Henceforth, since this is not for personal sustenance, we have a local food bank that I could contribute to.

My initial idea is to start growing the cucumbers in a large plastic pot located in my back yard.

And that is how far I've gotten in the planning process.

Any and all advice is very welcome.

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[–] Bilbo_Haggins@lemm.ee 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Cucumbers need a lot of direct sun and a lot of space, either vertical (trellised) or horizontal (along the ground). Put them in a wide open sunny part of your yard. They're also fairly susceptible to powdery mildew so keep an eye on them if the weather is rainy.

You mentioned you're in Maine, which means you have a relatively short growing season. You might want to start your cucumber seeds inside to get a jump start on the season in the spring. Otherwise just make sure you get them started right away once it's okay to plant outdoors so that you don't run out of room at the end of the season.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! Cucumbers are a very rewarding plant, right up there with tomatoes for me as far as bang for your buck. Homegrown cucumbers have a crunch that totally knocks store bought ones out of the park.

Other vegetables I like growing that grow well in my corner of New England: Basil (grow enough to make several batches of pesto and freeze it) Tomatoes Sugar snap peas Leafy greens, especially collards and Swiss Chard Potatoes in 5-gallon buckets Hot peppers

[–] remington@beehaw.org 4 points 4 months ago

Thanks a ton for all of that!