Cucurbits get their moment on Terry Walton’s plot
They’re a bit late to the party – and I have some mystery guests, too!
The whole plot’s landscape has changed dramatically in recent days and it takes a trained eye to spot a glimpse of dark brown earth on the plot. Green foliage extends all around and this is broken up by the vivid dark reds of the beetroot and ‘Lollo Rossa’ lettuce, almost blood red in contrast. Occasionally there are the little white or purple flowers standing proud of the green foliage of the potatoes, punctuating their green landscape. But the sight that gladdens the eye of most gardeners is the majestic flowers adorning long stalks among the runner beans.
A couple of weeks later than normal, it’s cucurbit planting time. These are the collective members of the squash family and the first one to be set free is the cucumber. Three of these are planted in three corners of my greenhouse in air pots, partly filled with well-rotted manure then topped off with good multi-purpose compost. The air pots have holes all around them and the bottom is also full of holes. These are great for growing cucumbers as they stop the pot getting too wet, which can lead to black leg on the stem. A cane is fixed next to the pot and attached to my greenhouse frame for them to grow skywards. I’m growing ‘Passandra’ and ‘Baby’, which are small cucumbers suitable for single meal use.
The fourth corner of my greenhouse is home to a melon. I failed to buy one this year but after spreading the word a pot containing one appeared at my greenhouse door. There was no name label so this will be a mystery melon, and I will get what I get! This will also be trained up a cane but the sideshoots will be supported on a framework that I’ve yet to make. I do so hope this mystery plant will give me four or five tasty feeds?
I also failed to get a marrow plant at the garden centre. I was talking to a garden club two weeks ago and stated my predicament that I had no marrow and after the meeting one chap took me to his greenhouse and presented me with two healthy plants. No name tag, but a gift is still a gift.
My final member of the cucurbit family to be planted is a pumpkin. Again I had none of these but my neighbouring plot holder had one spare so this has been planted on my year-old compost heap. It’s covered with a black plastic sheet so a hole has been cut in the middle, part of the compost taken out and the hole filled with multi-purpose compost. This pumpkin can roam on the heap without me using anymore of my precious plot.