Quote:
Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha
Betty, I don't have consistently good results when starting melons and squash in situ, so I only attempt when seeds are plentiful and cheap. The majority of the time I start in the largest round Jiffy peat pots to gain a little heads up as my season is somewhat short.
My transplants were virtually obliterated by a freak hail storm in the middle of the night last May. I had just planted out tomatoes in the backyard the day prior to losing all of them. Some still in the pot grew back if there was at least one truss. Without a growing tip it stayed a stub. Cucumber and squash were particularly fragile.
I hope upcountrygirl returns to the post and sees this with the pm system shut off.
- Lisa
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Is 6" round and 5" deep the largest Jiffy peat pot?
I use plastic pots about 12" round and 9" deep. They are filled with a mix (about 50/50) of soil and compost. I start seeds 3 weeks (up to no more than 4 weeks) before transplanting time. If the weather is good and growth is fast, they get transplanted at three weeks. If the growth is slow, then up to 4 weeks. Beyond 4 weeks the plants may start to get root bound, and can easily be damaged when transplanting.
Rather than dig a hole, I dig a furrow. I slide an almost sideways tilted pot off the plant. The pot is almost dragged across the furrow so the plant is as close to the soil as possible. It's all about zero to minimum root disturbance with squash and melons. I've never had a problem with transplants. 130-150 dtm squash (like Tahitian Melon Squash) have easily reached maturity in my garden.