cucumbers

How to Harden Off Plants in the UK

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Tomato seedlings in pots and trays hardening off on a patio in a UK garden ready to plant out

If you have ever grown tomatoes or courgettes on a windowsill and then put them straight outside in May, you will know what happens next. The plants stop growing. The leaves go pale. Sometimes they just give up altogether. It is incredibly frustrating, especially when you have looked after them for weeks. The good news … Read more

Why Cucumber Seeds or Seedlings Fail in the UK

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Cucumber seeds and seedlings growing in pots in a UK garden

Why cucumber seeds and seedlings fail for a handful of predictable reasons, and nearly all of them come down to one thing: cold. Cucumbers are tropical, and they will not germinate in compost below about 20C, so the single most common cause of failure is sowing too early into compost that is simply too cold. … Read more