Virtual gardening class: growing cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and melons

Can you tell the difference between male and female zucchini flowers? Do you want to participate in squash sex—or leave it all to the bees? What is a cucamelon? Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and melons are members of the Cucumber Family (Cucurbaceae) — all of which are warm season crops. Cucurbits are heavy feeders that sprawl 3 to 5 feet in all directions. Learn how to use vertical space to enhance productivity in small spaces. While cucumbers and squash are easy to grow in Western Washington, melons prefer more heat than we usually have. However, it’s possible to succeed with melons by selecting the right cultivars and using heat-enhancing growing techniques. Topics in this vegetable gardening class include variety selection, what “open pollinated” means, cultural requirements, container growing, fertilizer needs, seed saving and the consequences of saving seed from hybrid varieties, major diseases and pests, and pest management techniques for each crop. Below are resources to enhance your learning. More info: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=gdujbjuab&oeidk=a07eha243dv99245a29. Find more classes from King County Master Gardeners: https://www.mgfkc.org/education/growinggroceries.