Getting Ready To Plant Cucurbits

Before planting a land to any of the cucurbits, you should kill off all broad-leaved weeds nearby, preferably well beforehand.

- Bill Kerr

Aphids feed on these and then enter the land and introduce viruses. Once the virus is in a land it will usually spread. There is currently no cure.

Have a soil analysis done to get the nutrition correct before preparing the land. I’m constantly asked for a fertiliser programme for specific vegetables, but in fact you need to fertilise the soil to suit a wide range of vegetables.

THE EFFECTS OF A LOWER PH VALUE

The soil pH should be about 6,5, but can go a little lower or a fair amount higher.

If you have potatoes in the rotation, opt for a lower pH; this will reduce the risk of scab but still be suitable for the other crops grown.

Be warned, though; a lower pH will greatly increase the possibility of a molybdenum deficiency. As a precaution, soak the seed in 25g sodium molybdate per 5 water for a few hours.