I decided to do a small garden this year, mostly for fun and to teach my daughter about plants. I've got cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, green peppers, turnip and peas. Haven't decided about potatoes yet.
I'm building raised beds because we have no space to till the ground. They're going to be made of 2x10 lumber with 8" of dirt inside. I've also got frost covers for when I first put the plants out. The watermelons I'm actually going to plant inside a row of tires, with a second empty tire on top and plastic over the top hole for a while until it warms up enough to leave them exposed.
At this point I have tomatoes, watermelons and peppers started in the house. I started them too early, though. The tomatoes are about 2" tall and have started their second leaves. They're doing okay but some of them are droopy. The watermelons are approaching 5-6" tall in some cases, but still have only two leaves. The peppers were later sprouting, they're only an inch or so high. I've been pulling out some of the plants and leaving only the strongest-looking one in each pellet. But I'm concerned (especially regarding the melons) that by the time it's warm enough to put them outside, they're going to be all pot-bound and starving to death! Can I transplant them into bigger peat pots filled with potting soil now, and then later plant them outside?
You can transplant the melons into larger pots. Just be careful when you take them out of those pots not to disturb the roots.
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenedc02.html
You might find this a fun site too about how to tell when a watermelon is ripe.
https://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/000714.Egel.watermelon.html
Another helpful site.
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene0391.html
Newt
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenedc02.html
You might find this a fun site too about how to tell when a watermelon is ripe.
https://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/000714.Egel.watermelon.html
Another helpful site.
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene0391.html
Newt
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Kaaryn,
If the tomato plants get leggy just plant them deeper when you set them out. Strip off the lower leaves and branches if there are any and set them deeper. They will sprout roots along the stem and promote stronger growth. You can even lay them horizontally if necessary just incline the top of the plant upward, it will straighten itself out.
Good thing you started the peppers early, they take longer. I always start my peppers earlier than tomatoes anyway.
Norm
By all means pot them up if you feel they need it. Also consider a light feeding if they are going to be in the pots for an extended period.But I'm concerned (especially regarding the melons) that by the time it's warm enough to put them outside, they're going to be all pot-bound and starving to death! Can I transplant them into bigger peat pots filled with potting soil now, and then later plant them outside?
If the tomato plants get leggy just plant them deeper when you set them out. Strip off the lower leaves and branches if there are any and set them deeper. They will sprout roots along the stem and promote stronger growth. You can even lay them horizontally if necessary just incline the top of the plant upward, it will straighten itself out.
Good thing you started the peppers early, they take longer. I always start my peppers earlier than tomatoes anyway.
Norm
Something I picked up on is you said "strongest one in each pellet" this leads me to believe that you are using peat pellets. In my experience they are the worst seed starting thing you can use. I used them last year and my melons suffered because of it, they got really long and leggy. I live in ontario and am in Zone 6a and I am thinking you are in zone 5, 5b, by the time I could put my melons out they were to leggy and they fell over in the wind and died. I started mine about end of march last year and found that is way to early. So I have abandoned the peat pellets, they dry out to fast and are poor in nutrient values. Your other plants you started in the pellet will be fine but I would re start your melons in some seedling compost mix in about a week or two that is when I am starting mine because my average last frost date is may 6th. Good luck with all of your plants.
Thanks for the great responses!
I moved all the melons (peat pellets and all) into peat pots filled with potting soil. And I reduced them all to one plant. They look pretty good today sitting in the sun, it doesn't seem to have shocked them. I'm going to see how they fare for the next couple of weeks, if they start getting too crazy then I'll probably toss them and start over.
Our zone is labeled as 6b... but I think where I am tends to be a little colder just because I'm quite exposed to the wind and close to the ocean. I don't think we'll see too many more weeks of frost, but it's so unpredictable. Right now the forecast is full of "light rain showers or flurries" because it's hovering mostly around 3 degrees. But then we'll have a day like tomorrow where it's supposed to get up to 7.
I moved all the melons (peat pellets and all) into peat pots filled with potting soil. And I reduced them all to one plant. They look pretty good today sitting in the sun, it doesn't seem to have shocked them. I'm going to see how they fare for the next couple of weeks, if they start getting too crazy then I'll probably toss them and start over.
Our zone is labeled as 6b... but I think where I am tends to be a little colder just because I'm quite exposed to the wind and close to the ocean. I don't think we'll see too many more weeks of frost, but it's so unpredictable. Right now the forecast is full of "light rain showers or flurries" because it's hovering mostly around 3 degrees. But then we'll have a day like tomorrow where it's supposed to get up to 7.
