Transplanting cukes, melons, squash

Kassaundra

Garden Addicted
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
1,669
Reaction score
972
Points
233
Location
Henryetta, zone 7B
I am about to transplant my seedlings from the group seedling bed to individual pots before going into the garden can I plant the seedling deep covering the stem, like you would a tomato plant?
 

lesa

Garden Master
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
570
Points
337
Location
ZONE 4 UPSTATE NY
I wouldn't. Why are you not putting them in the garden? It must be time in zone 7?? If I were you, I would get them hardened off, over the next few days, and directly plant them...JMO
 

Kassaundra

Garden Addicted
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
1,669
Reaction score
972
Points
233
Location
Henryetta, zone 7B
B/c I am hopelessly behind, and we just got 8.5 inches of rain in 3 days and more coming and I didn't think I could put them directly out as very young seedlings.
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
26,599
Reaction score
31,993
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
Most folks do not start cukes, melons, and squash indoors.

I do but, along with sunflowers, they are the only plants that I sow to individual cells.

They grow a root system quickly, need transplanting early and require careful handling. Shucks, that's about all I know . . .

Steve
 

silkiechicken

Deeply Rooted
Moderator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
543
Reaction score
1
Points
109
Location
Everett WA, Corvallis OR
I start zucchini and jpn squash in cups about 3 weeks early. One seed per cup. I have to do this because I take everything home to my parents to grow and they won't know weed from plant if I don't start it, have it have leaves, and mark it with a cup. My mom weeded out all the younger peas one year because she thought they were weeds between the older peas that were 4 inches tall vs 2 inches tall....

When I re-pot or plant, I just burry them up to their cotyledons while making sure those seed leaves don't get burried under dirt. They tend to stretch a bit when grown inside under lights. I've not had an issue with doing it this way for the past few years.

In our zone 7, I don't put out seedlings till mid may. I harden them off as soon as their seed leaves are half dollar sized.
 

dickiebird

Garden Addicted
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,102
Reaction score
880
Points
257
Location
Cedar Hill MO
I also start all of the above inside, in fact we are having lots of rain also, so most of my day was spent transplanting to larger containers. When I transplant I bury the plant just like I do a tomato, except for cukes!!!

I also start sweet corn in containers, I probably have 50 or so starts about 15" tall in greenhouse right now.

Last week we had a day with a bright spot appear and as an experiment I planted about 10 stalks of corn just to see if this would work. I was affraid of the wind knocking them over or that they just wouldn't thrive. I looked at them today and they look fine, even with the awful winds we have had over the weekend.

THANX RICH
 

Rozzie

Chillin' In The Garden
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
99
Reaction score
0
Points
29
Location
Zone 5
It's staying cold late here for us. I did plant some things outside a week ago, but I'm not seeing germination on the squash family crops yet. (I did dig up one bean seed and it was germinating.)

If I don't see germination in a few days, I'm starting some squash and cucumbers inside to get a jump on the season. It can make a big difference in getting longer day crops to maturity.

DO NOT, however, let them get rootbound, even a tiny bit. Squash family crops do not do well if they are even slightly confined.
 
Top