===== 2016 cucumbers =====

I intended to get a head start on cucumbers and to grow two varieties, Green Finger and MarketMore, both from High Mowing.

==== Germination ====

I began sowing two seeds in each of 18 hills. I waited. No sprouts. Six weeks after the first sowing I sowed more seeds. I put row cover over these and waited. Eventually I counted about 14 plants. What was going on?

==== Radish cover crop ====

In the farm garden I direct seeded only cucumbers (poor results transplanting), pole beans and corn. All showed poor germination. After noting this I was reading about the tillage radish as a cover crop and I learned that as the radish leaves wilt and decompose they leave something in the ground that effectively inhibits germination for some months.

==== Suppresses the seed bank ====

It was about six months after the radish decomposed that I saw good germination of any of these seeds. A lesson learned. A benefit of growing the tillage radish is that this affected seeds in the seed bank also. I have a lot fewer weeds where the radish had been strongest. Good to know.