Laura asks about our cucumber vine / Citrullus vulgaris / sweet Irish potato terra firma binding successiveness in the Grocery Row Gardens :
“ I had not reckon about using cucumbers , watermelons , and sweet potatoes in succession over the course of the growing season . That ’s genius . Just to be certain I understand : You sow the cucumbers first , and then the melons a twain weeks later on , right ? How long do you wait after sow the melons to set out the scented tater slips ? ”
dear question .
How the Cucumber/Watermelon/Sweet Potato Ground Cover Works
We usually plant them these three crops around the same metre , sometimes set out with the cucumber . The cucumber run really tight , the watermelons are slower , and the sweet potatoes also endure being overgrown by the other two and will happily await their turn to dominate . The determining factor in this successionary ground cover is the relative lifespans of the three crops .
Cucumbers start producing cukes at about 55 - 65 days , and give a harvest for a few weeks before refuse .
Our watermelons really begin cooking around 90 - 100 days and keep going for a couple month before worsen .
Sweet white potato vine run all season long and into the fall , when they are harvested at about 6 - 7 calendar month of old age , after the cucumbers and watermelons are long gone .
Each of these crops proceed in during the calendar month of April , but the time of ascendancy peak and then recede in consecutive waves , making this study quite well .
They do run over each other some , but as the watermelon well into their flower in June , the cucumbers are waning – and as the watermelon vine peter out in other August , the sweet potatoes are really kicking up their game in the heat and rain of summer .
Zero Shade for Sweet Potatoes?
Justin asks :
“ Are you leave behind certain expanse in your market rows innocent of trees / shrubs to grow your theme crops like the sweet potatoes ? ”
No – we plant them justly around the bases of the trees and shrubs . Remember , the trees are 12′ apart , and the shrub are at the 6′ sign between each tree . This leaves great deal of space . Though sweet Solanum tuberosum are said to like “ full sun , ” the bit of tone the trees plaster cast does n’t seem to bother them at all . Alabama full sun is really bestial . We also prune our trees to countenance in the light and take away branches that are in the manner of our gardening , so they are n’t block out a pot of sun .
We ’ve planted honeyed potatoes in good order into a maturing food for thought woodland with more shade and they still did well .
Not regretful !
Today we planted more angelical tater , and I ’ll be mail a picture on that shortly . Stay tune up .
