Calhoun County, AL – Marketmore 76 Cucumbers by Betty Clark 4.21.24 … I switched from straight eight cucumber seeds (which I like as a secondary option) to Marketmore 76 seeds. Why did I switch? A trial has been done on them. Which I did not realize when I randomly purchased the seeds. In my opinion the skin is thicker & more disease resistant. I use less product in maintenance. August 8, 2023 I attended a Cucurbit Class that named these cucumbers as being studied. I did my own evaluation. … Here are my garden journal notes: I sowed 12 seeds (sowed Sunday, May 21, 2023, by August 6, 2023, Result: 78 days I had been eating cucumbers for 8 days). The packet said to harvest in 70 days. Yes! I had cucumbers in 70 days! Thick skin, disease resistant, heirloom cucumbers. These 12 vines are loaded with blooms, & bees to perform into frost (end of journal notes). The technique I use in sowing cucumber seeds: (a) spread a 2 inch layer of sand across your prepared soil, (b) mist (wet) the sand, (c) scatter seeds across the wet sand, the seeds will sink into the wet sand, (d) continue to mist daily until germinated in 10 days. Give your vines a vertical platform to climb. These 12 vines required 2 gallons of water daily due to 90 degree heat. Water the ground, not the leaves. They were growing in shade until 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. full sun. Only 6 hours full sun they produced cukes. They would most likely produce more cukes with more sun. I weekly fertilized with fish emulsion. I sprayed weekly Neem oil (fungicide, miticide, pesticide). I will continue to grow Marketmore 76 Cucumbers. I am very pleased with the number of cucumbers, low maintenance. I am always investigating other options, and all gardeners should also! We all want better results!
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She is an organic gardener since 1998. Signature flower she grows are Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, raised bed garden, and in ground garden. Both her surnames are agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: [email protected]
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