Hey everyone! I'm located in zone 6b and my last frost date is typically between May 1st and May 10th. The nighttime temperatures are starting to consistently sit in the 50s, but I've still seen some temps dipping into the 40s. I'm wondering if it's too early to direct sow my cucumber seeds into my raised beds this year, especially since I've always bought seedlings from the nursery and usually plant them in late May. Any advice would be awesome!
1 Answer
In zone 6b, I usually wait until the second week of June to plant my cucumber seeds. The key is the soil temperature; I’ve found that when I wait, I avoid issues with squash bugs that typically appear earlier. Plus, direct sowing is pretty straightforward once the time is right!
I never faced cucumber beetles until last year, and they wrecked my pickling cucumbers. I switched to the County Fair Improved variety this time since they're sweet and resistant to bacterial wilt. Fingers crossed they do better!