Senior Connections Senior Connections May 2019

PLANTS from Pg 8 suggest planting in hills. This means to plant ﬁve or six seeds in a clump. After emergence, thin back leaving the one or two strongest seedlings. Watering Proper watering will enhance good production. Vine crops need at least 1 inch of water from rain- fall or irrigation each week during the growing season. Always soak the soil thoroughly when wa- tering. There is little or no value in a light water- ing that only wets the surface of the soil. On most soils, watering once a week is sufﬁcient. Sandy soils should be watered more frequently but with lower amounts applied at any one time. Mulching will also help around the roots. gan seeds (www.thompson-morgan.com) is the Minnesota Midget melon. You’ll love this very early maturing cantaloupe melon which produces numerous, sweet small 4-inch melons which have a high sugar content, superb ﬂavor and are sweet to the rind. Ideal for limited space, the compact vines run only3-31⁄2ft. Give vining plants a try if you have not for a while. There are newer varieties that have been developed that would be fun to experiment with. Check with your local nursery and seed companies. Controlling Weeds Frequent shallow cultivation will kill weeds be- fore they become a problem. The roots of the vine crops are close to the surface of the soil, so it is important not to cultivate too deeply or too close to the plants. Cultivate just deep enough to cut the weeds off below the surface of the soil. Continue cultivating as long as you can do so without in- juring the vines, usually when the vines begin to spread between the rows. When cultivation is no longer possible, pull the large weeds by hand. Harvesting Pick cucumbers and summer squash when they reach a usable size. If very large cucumbers are left on the vine, the plant yield will decline. Harvest often, but be careful not to disturb the vine. Do not pick fruit when the vines are wet, because of the danger of spreading diseases. Pick winter squash and pumpkins before a hard freeze. A light frost that kills the vine will usually not harm the fruit. Harvest muskmelon when the fruit changes col- or; separate from the vine with a slight twist. Do not wait for the melons to separate from the vine on their own. Harvest watermelon when the un- derside of the fruit is greenish-yellow, the surface color of the fruit becomes dull, and the early ten- drils (which look like curly strings) near the fruit on the stem dry and turn brown. One Day Tours Cooking Country �� Chris �� Short Trips May 29 & June 22, Mamma Mia July 11, Jasper Theater July 31, Guys and Dolls August 6, Stillwater June 17 - 20, Wonderful Winnipeg June 24 - 26, Mystery Tour July 15 - 18, Bayﬁ eld and Madeline Island July 26 - 29, Medora August 11 - 13, Duluth Tall Ships 952.442.4443 16 W Main St. | Waconia, MN 55387 TravelEasyInc.com | [email protected] @traveleasyinc Common Problems Poor fruit set, es- pecially in cucumber, could be due to im- proper pollination. Pollination may be hindered by cold rain and cloudy weather. Tasteless melons could be due to dark, cloudy weather, or disease. One variety that is fairly new from Thompson and Mor- Senior Connections HJ.COM Senior Connections May 2019 9

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