Transplanting spindly squash, zuchini, and cucumber
I tried starting my own transplants this year and every thing is going great except for my squash, zuchinni, and cucumbuers. They sprouted first and I was not giving them adequate light, ie no light, because they were in a closet with the lights off and the door shut. They grew four or five inches before the seed coat came off and the cotelydons split. Anyway, they continued to grow after I started putting them in the window sill. They are probably nine to ten inches long and have true leaves. They look really healthy and green but their stem isn't strong enough to support their length. I was wondering if when I transplant them, if I could just bury the root ball deep enough so that the stem will be able to suport the plant. It would probably only need to be buried a couple of inches deeper but wasn't sure if that would harm the plant or stem. I was also wondering if it would be better to start over or just plant them and the let the vine run on the ground.
I myself wouldn't start over, I would plant them normally and then adjust them with support [if needed] as they grow. My squash and zuchini always ends up crawling all over the place as they grow anyways. I usually let the cucumbers grow onto some form of support, like old tomato cages or a dedicated trellis system.
If their condition as of now bothers you, why not consider getting some additional seed {if you have the space} and plant the seed directly in the ground at the same time you transplant your plants? If all works out well, your existing plants will produce and you will have an additional crop a few weeks later.
If their condition as of now bothers you, why not consider getting some additional seed {if you have the space} and plant the seed directly in the ground at the same time you transplant your plants? If all works out well, your existing plants will produce and you will have an additional crop a few weeks later.
good idea. I think I'll just plant another couple of seeds near by and if then thin them out to the couple of strongest and then I should be o.k.
Just out of curiosity, would it kill the plants to plant the a couple of inches deeper than normal to help support the vine? I know you can do this with tomato's because the stem will develop roots but was wondering what the issues would be with squash?
Just out of curiosity, would it kill the plants to plant the a couple of inches deeper than normal to help support the vine? I know you can do this with tomato's because the stem will develop roots but was wondering what the issues would be with squash?
Hi again! By the way, I am just up I-59 from you, in Dade County, Georgia. Is it as unseasonably warm there as it is here?
It's just my opinion so don't mistake it as fact, but I don't think that planting your squash an inch or so deeper than normal would hurt it while it's as young as it is. If you don't normally plant them in hills, maybe it would help to do that. You could always plant one or two plants a few days earlier than the others as a test, to make sure.
The cucumbers, I'm not so sure - I always have problems with my cucumbers, so I wouldn't be the best person to give advice on them
It's just my opinion so don't mistake it as fact, but I don't think that planting your squash an inch or so deeper than normal would hurt it while it's as young as it is. If you don't normally plant them in hills, maybe it would help to do that. You could always plant one or two plants a few days earlier than the others as a test, to make sure.
The cucumbers, I'm not so sure - I always have problems with my cucumbers, so I wouldn't be the best person to give advice on them
Yeah, it is unseasonably warm down here. That is why I went ahead and put my seedlings in the ground. I probably should have just started my zuchini, squash and cukes in the ground instead of jiffy pods but I am new and didn't realize they were such aggressive growers. I have actually already moved my tomato plants to individual cups and have hardened them off already. They are only about two and a half weeks old but already have their true leaves and working on another set. I didn't think it would hurt them to go ahead and get them out in the sun.