When they are planted in raised mounds, 4 to 6 inches high, the advantage is that the soil warms up faster and drains better, and water that collects around the base encourages roots to feed more deeply. Pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers and melons are the more common vegetables planted in hills, with 4-6 seeds per hill.
Cucumbers do best when planted in hills, four plants to a hill, with hills 4-6 feet apart. If direct seeding, plant 8 seeds per hill and thin to 4 plants 12 inches apart. Cucumbers can also be grown along fences or in containers with trellises.
Make a hill before planting the cucumber. Just a small rise in the ground is adequate. Build the hill, or mound, about a foot in diameter and about three inches high; this is to drain water from around the stem.
The more modern method is to simply sow cucumbers about 9 to 18 inches (12 to 45 cm) apart (this could be in a row, a circle, a square: you choose) without mounding the soil. In square foot gardening, two plants are usually sown per 1 foot (30 cm) square.
In the grand scheme of things, cucumbers crave a consistent 1-2 inches of water weekly. But let's not oversimplify. Sandy soils dry out faster than a gossip in a small town, necessitating more frequent watering. Clay soils, the stage-five clingers of the garden, retain moisture longer and demand less.
Let Cucumbers Climb
Trellised cucumbers are easier to pick and less susceptible to disease. Cucumbers do best if they can climb instead of spread over the ground. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages so that the vines climb the structures.
A hill means a cluster of seeds or transplants not literally a raised mound. Usually used with vining plants like melons or squash. You water the cluster, not all along the vines. But a raised mound can be handy.
6-8 hours of direct sunlight needed for cucumbers to flourish. 🌞 Full sun boosts yield; full shade hinders growth and fruiting.
You'll want to find the sunniest spot in your garden and space plants about 2 feet apart. Or you can plant them closer together and let them climb up a trellis or a fence.
Cucumber seeds should be sown in a propagator between March and April. But you can get started in February if your greenhouse is heated, and in May to June if you plan to sow the seeds directly outdoors. Sow the cucumber seeds on their sides at a depth of 1cm in 7.5cm pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost.
A high potassium fertiliser, such as tomato feed or a balanced fertiliser mix including potassium can be used as per the instructions.
Planting squash in hills can give your squash first rate drainage, helping them to grow well. Here are a few easy tricks to getting your squash patch up and rivaling your neighbors.
When they are planted in raised mounds, 4 to 6 inches high, the advantage is that the soil warms up faster and drains better, and water that collects around the base encourages roots to feed more deeply. Pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers and melons are the more common vegetables planted in hills, with 4-6 seeds per hill.
Tomato plants require abundant moisture for best growth, so arrange for easy watering. The area selected should be well drained since poor drainage promotes root loss. Tomatoes grown on heavy or poorly drained soils should be planted in raised beds or mounds four to six inches high.
Vegetable Planting with Hills
Note that the hill method is a misnomer: it refers to simply generously spacing apart your crops in circular groups (creating actual hills or mounds can cause your soil to dry out too quickly).
Planting cucumbers and tomatoes together? Planting cucumbers and tomatoes right next to each other is often not recommended. These two plants often have similar requirements for nutrients, water and light, which can lead to competition. Both plants are heavy feeders and require a lot of nitrogen for healthy growth.
Cucumber is a kind of cold-natured food, while peanut contains a lot of oil and fat. If cucumber and peanut interact with each other, it is easy to cause diarrhea.
Vining vegetables like cucumbers actually make perfect companions to bushing veggies like peppers. They enjoy similar growing conditions and can grow together in about the same amount of space as a single plant. Ensure you trellis your cukes and plant your peppers in front so they aren't shaded by growing vines.
Hill method: Sow six to eight seeds in hills spaced from 4 to six feet apart each way. Cover the seeds to a depth of about one half inch. Thin seedlings to leave three to four plants per hill. The soil at each hill should be left level with the rest of the area.
Vine crops are heavy water feeders, so you should constantly check soil moisture. Cucumbers need about one inch of water from rainfall or irrigation each week during the growing season. Always soak the soil thoroughly when watering. Water sandy soils more often, but with lower amounts applied at any one time.