
I then set three 'Marketmore' cucumber plants along the row. These small outdoor cucumbers cropped well last year and were tasty despite thick skins.

I then set about planting my Brussel Sprouts. They have to be spaced so far apart (30") that I only need 5 plants for a row but it is a laborious process. First scrape clear a strip in the mulch. Then cut holes 4-6" deep and a spade width wide. Use a bulb planter to cut a hole in the bottom of each and scatter half a handful of lime in and around each hole. Then use a thin bladed trowel or spike to stir the lime into the soil at the bottom and plant each young plant into the hole using a normal trowel to loosen the surrounding soil to bed it in. Finally I firm the plant in well as brassicas like to be firmly planted and then water in well. Later, when the plants grow taller, I shall earth them up by filling in the larger hole but in the meantime water and fertiliser will be concentrated around the plant.
I managed to plant 10 plants before it was time to go home.