Cucumber Seedlings - support needed?

[chris]

Hi All,

Day before yesteday, I checked the prop - no sign of life.. Came home yesterday night, went to look and I was shocked by my cucumber seedlings - massive! (Well, compared to the toms and chillies - may have started them off a bit early, but I thought I'd give them a go as the only way I'm going to learn is by trying ). I didn't expect all 4 seeds to germinate (put 4 in a 3" pot). So I put them on an unused window sil, that's south facing.

Came down stairs this morning, and they were practically flat against the surface, straining to get to the morning sun! I was really shocked, as I've never seen plants move so much for the sun, but anyway. I rotated them around to hopefully straighten them up. Now they're a bit 'S' shaped.. is this ok? I'm gong to put them in their own pots soon - probably this weekend, but wondering if I need to support them to stop them going so crazy

Pic attached...

[zazen999]

????

It's FEBRUARY!!!!!!!

[chris]

:P I know heh, I guess I was egar - wanted to see if I could get to germinate, after my toms failed - wasn't sure if it was that seed... chillies seemed fine tho!)

[zazen999]

So what are you going to do with them for.....lets see....... 3 months???

Go stand in the corner and recite 'I must not kill cucumbers' 100 times.....

[chris]

Watch them!

3? I'm sure I read it was March on the packet.. I'll have a gander again tomorrow.

More of an experiment I guess - wanted to see if they would germinate, and if I could start tem off that bit early... but I'll take your word for it about May.

Oh well, we will see if they'll suvive

[binley100]

I've bought outside cuc's and gherkins to try and they have been hidden in the back of my seed box so's I'm not even tempted., but I know how you feel. Impatient

[FionaH]

They are frost tender, you may be able to sow in March, (by the way it is February ), but you can't put em outside till May. When all risk of frost is gone.

[zazen999]

I've only just got the packet out of the cupboard, let alone got any seeds outside of the packet.

If you are impatient; tomatoes, chillis, onions, shallots, potatoes chitting, broad beans, peas, some herbs, chives, lettuce, beetroot; but not cucumbers!!! unless you have somewhere big and warm to put them.

[chris]

Ah, it wasn't ont he packet - I just found it in my history - I read it on the rhs site...

I've a room, south facing - large window (put the heating on in there couple days ago) - according to the rad termostat - between 15-19C -most stuff is in there at the mo, bar the spuds on the kitchen window sill

thanks for the other suggestions though, will do most of them this weekend

Edit: Just read the rest of that RHS page - I see where it says if it's colder wait until later..

I'll see how they go anyway.. first time from seed, so want to make sure I don't miss my chance due to my hectic work-out-of-work work

[FionaH]

Best of luck to you. I managed to kill so many baby cucs last year I resorted to buying some from the garden centre! No idea what I did, they aren't meant to be that difficult

[chris]

Thanks - I'll sow some more in May too. I'll check the packets before I goto bed !

[Bren In Pots]

Edit: Just read the rest of that RHS page - I see where it says if it's colder wait until later..

It can't get much colder we've had snowfor the last couple of days

note to self hide the cucumber seeds at the back of the seed box

[vegnut]

I don't sow mine till mid April, and they still give a good crop before the end of the season, outdoor ridge types that is !!!

[chriscross1966]

One method that can work simply cos you get loads of seeds in a pack of outdoor cukes is to start some late March and take a run at it.... not much else in the propagators then anyway (well not in mine cos the hardy stuff is all out, and I don't need that many tomatoes for the indoors)... fill the propagator up with outdoor tenders that you have plenty of seeds for and run em through to plant out end of April/ early May under cloches... if the weather kills them don't worry, you've got another batch coming, if it doesn't you'll have stolen a month... depends on the last frost..... but unless you've got a big heated+lamped glasshouse, early February is 6 weeks too soon....

chrisc

[Two_Sheds]

outdoor cukes ... start some late March and take a run at it....

The cucurbits grow very big, very fast.

You need somewhere light & warm to keep those fast-growing babies until end May/early June, depending where you are.

I don't think it's helpful to start too soon, in fact it could put someone off for life, if they are told they can grow cukes in March, and then have to watch them all dying on their windowsills.