So far my best contribution to gardening has been the concrete block
method where I use 16"x8"x8" block with their 2 holes as a sort of pot
for plants. I put the block over strawberries and asparagus and have the
plants grow out of the holes. Tomatoes are especially good when grown
the concrete block method and when they get tall, to put a wire cage on
them also.

But I want to discuss the best way of growing cucumbers and watermelon
because of the trouble in mowing around them as they spread. It makes
mowing undesirable because of the spreading cucumbers or watermelon and
then the weeds and grasses get to high.

So I have solved this problem. Wire fences do not work because although
they are better than cucumbers and watermelon on pure ground, the
horizontal or vertical fencing still allows too many weeds and grasses.

The best thing is a firewood row. Firewood stacked in a row and not high
off the ground is somewhat a solid blanket to prevent weeds and grasses.
So I plant the cucumbers and watermelon alongside a firewood row and
train the young cucumbers (most of them head for the row anyway) and
young watermelon to spread onto the wood row. My wood row is about 6 to
8 feet across.

Wire fences either vertical or horizontal just do not suppress the weeds
and grasses enough. The wood firewood row suppresses and allows the
watermelon or cucumber weight off the plant and have the wood support
the heavy weight of the watermelon.

Also, I start the seed in a peatmoss pot and plant it at the edge of the
wood row in a precisely determined spot rather than dig a row and plant
it in the ground and once I plant the young cucumber or watermelon I put
a concrete block on it so that in the summertime I know exactly where
the base is and can easily water it.

Archimedes Plutonium
whole entire Universe is just one big atom where dots
of the electron-dot-cloud are galaxies
www.archimedesplutonium.com
www.iw.net/~a_plutonium

One summer several years back I had extra sheet metal used for roofing and
siding and I put about a 100 foot row of 3' x 8' of sheet metal and left a
small space for a row of cucumbers and watermelon in between two rows of
sheet metal. Of course the sheet metal killed all the grass covered. And
the cucumbers and watermelon did fantastically great there because I not
only killed and suppressed the grasses and weeds but I rigged it so that
the rainwater would flow onto the cucumbers and watermelon so that in each
rain they would receive ten times more water. And I needed never to worry
about grasses and weeds for the sheet metal killed them. I did have to put
a weight of a pavers on the edges so that the wind never moved the sheet
metal. So that was a great summer for cucumbers and watermelon and where I
enjoyed mowing where they were growing.

But I then had to use that sheet metal for its designed purpose of a roof
for several sheds and other buildings.

So sheet metal serves as a alternative to that of a firewood row. And sheet
metal is even better because of the reflective light from the white sheet
metal stimulates the watermelon and cucumber to thrive even more.

So anyone thinking of how to boost there prize champion watermelon or
cucumber plants then they may want to explore white sheet metal covering
the ground around a watermelon.

Archimedes Plutonium
whole entire Universe is just one big atom where dots
of the electron-dot-cloud are galaxies
www.archimedesplutonium.com
www.iw.net/~a_plutonium