The Cucumbers Go It Alone.

My cucumber plants have grown too big to fit under their cloche any longer, so they have to take their chances with the weather. Despite it now being well into June, our night-time temperatures are still mostly in single figures (Celsius, that is). Even though they have been protected by a cloche, the plants are looking a bit yellow and blotchy, though strong enough by the look of it.

Hopefully when we get some decent sunshine the plants will green-up a bit. I have given them a dose of general-purpose plant food, which will also help.

In that tub there are presently only two cucumber plants, (one each of "Diva" and Mini Munch") but I plan to add at least one more in due course. My "reserves" were grown indoors and have become very leggy, so I don't think I will use them. Instead I sowed a couple more about 10 days ago, so if either of those develop into strong plants I will use it.

The "Reserves" have gone leggy

As you will have seen, I have also erected the support mechanism - some bamboo canes pushed into the soil of their container, and held together at the top by a purpose-made plastic ring.

Have I been over-optimistic in using 7-foot canes?!

Actually, I think not. I have grown cucumbers like this before, using 5-foot canes, and I always have to stop them when they reach the top. So this time I plan to have an enormous tower of cucumbers! The grandchildren will be happy if I do...