Seed-starting question

[i_am2bz]

Farmerlor is right. Squash and cukes grow a taproot, and if you try to start them inside, you will most likely start them too early (they grow so fast!) and they will get huge, and the taproot will get all messed up when you transplant. You are better off to direct sow, and they will typically "catch up" if they get planted a little late due to cool weather.

Oooh, that's good to know...I may have to rethink my plans. :/

 

[mrs.puff]

Yeah those started plants they sell now in the walmarts are a joke. It is just another way to make money off people who are trying to grow their own food and don't know any better. The only thing to watch out with when you are planting squash or cukes (or beans) is that the ground is warm enough and not soggy or the seeds rot easily. You can warm up the soil by tacking black plastic over it. (I've used garbage bags before, but they end up kinda shredded by the end of the year).

And about hand pollinating. It's easy peasy. I would recommend doing this for your early and late squashes, or if you live in an area with few bees, such as in town. All you do is find your female flowers as they are nicely in bloom or the day before. Female ones look like they have a little fist inside them, and there's a tiny fruit on the stem. Then take a male flower (he's just got one pointer in there) and brush the stamen on the inside of the female flower. Ta Da! Now you won't have so many little fruits that go all rotten at the beginning and end of the season (it's because they didn't get pollinated, and the plant lets them die).

I know that's more than you asked for, but maybe someone else will come across the info too!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yeah those started plants they sell now in the walmarts are a joke. It is just another way to make money off people who are trying to grow their own food and don't know any better. The only thing to watch out with when you are planting squash or cukes (or beans) is that the ground is warm enough and not soggy or the seeds rot easily. You can warm up the soil by tacking black plastic over it. (I've used garbage bags before, but they end up kinda shredded by the end of the year).

And about hand pollinating. It's easy peasy. I would recommend doing this for your early and late squashes, or if you live in an area with few bees, such as in town. All you do is find your female flowers as they are nicely in bloom or the day before. Female ones look like they have a little fist inside them, and there's a tiny fruit on the stem. Then take a male flower (he's just got one pointer in there) and brush the stamen on the inside of the female flower. Ta Da! Now you won't have so many little fruits that go all rotten at the beginning and end of the season (it's because they didn't get pollinated, and the plant lets them die).

I know that's more than you asked for, but maybe someone else will come across the info too!

*raises hand* so why not just pluck (and eat, I think) the ones you don't pollinate?

 

[mrs.puff]

Well, that's a good question. You COULD do that. No reason not to. Except that you can't tell that they are un-pollinated until they are already starting to go yucky usually. I personally like my squash to grow a little bit (not huge) so that I'm getting a bit more bang for my buck, you might say. So I don't pick "baby" squash. Plus I think those teeny tiny ones can be kinda bland.

And for everyone who may be confused, we are talking about summer squash here. Zucchini, patty pan, crookneck, etc. Not winter squash. You can hand pollinate them too, but you don't want to eat baby ones! Cuke flowers are so tiny you probably don't want to bother.

 

[mrs.puff]

Also, you will see that as the plants first start to produce flowers, they will all be males. That's okay. It's just how they do it. Female ones will show up soon.

 

[Sun and Sky]

I totally agree with the comment on squash catching up due to being planted late, those suckers grow so fast! If you want to start them from seed, you can always seed start them in degradeable seedling pots (like the commercial Jiffy Pots, or Coir (coconut fiber) pots that you fill with a non-soil potting mix of your choice (cardboard egg cartons work too, tho small). That way there is no disturbance of the roots, you just plant the whole pot in, and the pot degrades once buried in the soil.

I'd like to note that squash grow so fast that the tiny Jiffy Pots would only last them about a week. I'm currently using a 4 in diameter Coir pot to start my Golden Zucchini (yum) seeds, but I live in a warm climate (JRmom: I'm not too far away in the Tampa Bay!) and will be putting them outside in their giant permanent pots (apartment gardening) in about 1-2 weeks where they'll reside until the weather gets too hot and they poop out.

So I'd say the longest you'd EVER want to start squash is 3 weeks in advance. The thing is most squash can go from seed to producing in about a month and a half, versus some tomatoes (*cough cough Brandywine*) that need 6 weeks of indoor life, and THEN an additional THREE MONTHS before producing something you want to eat (i'm not a big fan of green tomatoes despite being in the south lol)

So I guess the short version of that is: start 'em inside if you want (or if the gardening itch is really bad) in biodegradable pots, or just cool your jets on the squash until the last day of frost hits. I'm sure you have other things you can plant and tend to in the meantime

 

[valmom]

The get something growing bug always hits me way way too early to put anything outside here (June or so), and I always start things inside. Squash and cucumbers take over your entire space in no time at all they grow so fast! I am not starting those inside again. What I wouldn't give for an actual growing season around here...well, not actually willing to move south. Just want a growing season.

I have spinach and basil in pots to try to hold off starting any seeds too early.

 

[hwillm1977]

Last year I started some cukes and squash inside in peat pots, and direct sowed some in the garden at the same time I planted the potted ones in the ground.

The direct sown ones grew and produced better than the ones in the peat pots that started a month earlier. I started them WAY too early and they were choked in the pots. This year I'm just going to throw the seeds in the garden and not worry about it.

We're buried under 6 feet of snow right now, I can't wait to be able to start seeds and have things growing again... I'd also like to be able to see out of the first floor windows

 

[Mattemma]

I have planted directly out in the soil and have done well. I have less luck with eggplant and pepper.Those need an early start inside.

 

[mrs.puff]

Yes, eggplant especially need to be started indoors, as much as 10 weeks even. I find that the bigger I can get the eggplants, the less likely the flea beetles will destroy them the first day I put them out.

I actually went out and bought a bag of dirt yesterday so I could start some lettuce in a flowerpot in the window. Ha! BTW--It's the "rockytop" blend (I think that's the name) from Baker Creek, and I tell you it is one of the best lettuce mixes I have ever gotten.