The Rural Voice, 1983-05, Page 53GROW VINE CROPS
DESPITE LIMITED SPACE
Vine crops, such as cucumbers, water-
melons, muskmelons, pumpkins and
squash are rarely grown in the home
garden because they take up valuable
garden space.
However, vine crops can be grown in
most garden locations, including ground
beds and waste areas, says Dr. H.
Tiessen of the University of Guelph's
department of horticultural science. If
space is limited, they can also be grown
on fences, stakes, and trellises, or in
large pots or soil boxes on patios and
balconies suspended two to 2.25 metres
(six or seven feet) overhead.
Tiessen says one vine crop that should
be considered for most gardens is slicing
cucumbers which can be produced from
July to freeze-up in September. A feature
of this crop is that only three or four
plants will supply the needs of the
average household. Some of the better
slicing cucumber varieties are Bellaire,
Challenger and Gemini.
Cucumber plants are started from
seed, May 1 to 7, and grown in seven
centimetre to 10 centimetre (three inch to
four inch) pots for four weeks, before
they are planted into the garden or large
containers, June 1.
Vine crops thrive in well -drained,
well -fertilized soil, he says. The sug-
gested fertilizer is 11 kilograms (25
pounds) of 15-15-15 fertilizer per 100
square metres (1,000 square feet),
worked into the soil at soil preparation
time.
For cucumbers grown in large con-
tainers on patios or balconies, dissolve
RURAL LIVING
Vine
crops, such as cucumbers,
melons, pumpkins and squash may be
grown in most garden locations. If space
is limited, they can also be grown on
fences, stakes and trellises or in large
pots or soil boxes on patios and bal-
conies. Here a trellis prevents vine crops
from taking up valuable garden space.
water -
10 grams (one ounce) of 20-20-20
fertilizer in 4.5 litres (one gallon) of
water, and apply this per one square
metre (10 sq. ft.) area once every two
weeks.
When cucumbers are grown in the
ground in the garden, they require about
1.2 square metres (12 sq. ft.) per plant,
Tiessen says. Thus the plants are spaced
0.75 metres (two ft.) apart in rows two
metres (six ft.) apart. Plants grown
overhead on trellises or stakes, are
spaced 0.5 metres (1.5 ft.) apart in rows,
1.2 metres (three ft. to four ft.) apart.
Raised vines should not shade or crowd
out smaller crops.
All vine crops benefit from the use of
black or brown plastic mulches which
control weeds, conserve moisture, in-
crease soil temperature and prompt the
plants to mature one or two weeks
earlier.
The black plastic mulch one metre to
1.2 metres (three ft. to four ft.) wide, is
applied on top of the soil and the edges
are covered with soil to anchor it down.
The transplants are set into the soil by
cutting through the mulch with a trowel,
and digging a hole in the soil for the
plants. The plants are healed in with 0.25
litres (half pint) of water or fertilizer
solution. The soil is then firmed around
the roots. If plastic mulch is not avail-
able, single layers of black or green
plastic garbage bags can be used, he
says.
Vine crops other than cucumbers that
can be grown on a trellis are summer
squashes such as zucchini, baby crook -
neck, and coccozelle.
Vine crops with larger fruits, such as
pumpkins, winter squash, muskmelons
and watermelons, are grown on the
ground because the mature fruit is so
heavy, it would damage suspended
vines. These crops require a lot of garden
space.
Varieties that may be considered for
the home garden are: muskmelons —
delicious 51, iroquois, burpee hybrid,
and harper hybrid; watermelons — sugar
baby, and sugar hybrid: winter squash —
acorn types, butternut, buttercup and
hubbard types; and many types of
pumpkins. ❑
PLAN TO BE A PART OF IT!
PUREBRED SWINE FEATURE
June 21
Show 8: a.m. Sale 12:30
June 22: Feeder Pig Show & Sale
June 23: Junior Barrow Show & Sale
OTHER MAJOR EVENTS
Daily Educational Programs
Industry Displays, Consumer Displays
Art Competition, Banquet & Dance