I was given four cucumber seedlings all growing in the same little pot. I was able to separate them into two sets of two but the roots were so intertwined I couldn't separate them into four. This picture shows two seedlings growing close together.
My question is, should I take one of them out or is it okay for them to continue growing together? I hate to kill a healthy plant but of course I don't want them both to die.
Thank you!
I'd say that you have two choices. Nip one with a pair of scissors or snips, or let it go. Pulling one has the potential to be disastrous.
If your soil is fertile, and the plants have a lot of space between them and the next neighbor, I would be tempted to let them go and provide plenty of food to the plant.
Ok, thanks, then I'll let them keep growing and will give them plenty of food! Do you recommend anything in particular? Should I get a vegetable fertilizer as opposed to "all purpose" plant food?
Giving them plenty of food after you have planted them is not a very good garden practice. You should have prepared your planting site first which included amending with the proper fertilizers. Giving them plenty of food will make them really grow but you will get few ( if any ) cucumbers. Think of " Jack and the Bean Stalk " The only way he could have done that would have been with a huge amount of fertilizer. And he didn't get any beans.
Joe
Grow a Row for Those in Need
I use Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed blend.
Thank you both for the advice. As far as preparing for these cucumbers - I mixed in some of that prepared garden soil into the ground before I planted them so hopefully that helped! I didn't know I was getting them. My future daughter-in-law handed them to me out of the blue so of course I took them..:)
I lived most of my life in New York and did some gardening there. I've been in L.A. for over 10 years now and finally have a little bit of space to plant things again, and it's a whole new ball game.
I plant mine in pairs all the time with no problems, as long as you give them room around the plants, or use a trellis.
I just had a cucumber sandwich for lunch and was thinking how happy I will be when it's a cuke from my very own garden. I have my first couple of babies on my Calypso and spent more than a little time whispering sweet nothings to them over the weekend!
Where did you live in NY?
