Transplanting Squash, Cukes or Melons — amy pennington (2024)

FAQs

Does squash like to be transplanted? ›

As for whether the plant takes well to transplanting, zucchini, squash, melons and cucumbers are cucurbits and have similar growth patterns and demands as plants. As a rule of thumb, these squash plants do not like to be transplanted and may falter.

Sowing and Transplanting: Direct seeding is the preferred method for starting squash, as the seed germinate quickly and easily, and roots will grow deeper than if transplants are used. If transplants are used, they should be young, having no more than 1 or 2 true leaves.

Sow butternut squash seed in 7cm pots of peat-free, multi-purpose compost from April. Transplant seedlings into larger pots when big enough to handle, and then plant outside into fertile soil when all risk of frost has passed, from late May.

Zucchini do not like root disturbance from transplanting, so it's important not to start seedlings too early. Seedlings should only be 10-14 days old before planting out (cotyledons have emerged along with only one or two true leaves). Larger transplants will experience transplant shock when they are planted outdoors.

To plant: Squash grow well in mounds, so hill up some soil and plant three to five seeds per mound. plant seeds 1 inch deep in mounds set 4 feet apart after all danger of frost has passed.

Corn, basil, lettuce, peas, spinach, zucchini, beans, melons, carrots, beets, and radishes are many that should be directly sown into the soil. Some of these plants have delicate roots systems and don't do well in the transplant process, such as spinach, beets, and carrots.

Growing winter and summer squash vertically encourages healthy growth and fruit production. This densely-growing plant can quickly take over a veggie garden if you leave it to grow on the ground instead of training it to grow up a trellis or other kind of support.

Watermelon: If growing seedless watermelon, transplanting is a must. If growing standard watermelon, transplant if early spring is your intended planting date. If you don't mind waiting for the soils to warm, direct-seeding will work just fine.

how many squash do you get per plant? For butternut squash you can expect 5 or 6 fruits per plant through the growing season, for some larger squash and pumpkins you may only get 2 to 4.

How to make squash grow bigger? ›

Give your native soil a nutrient boost by mixing in several inches aged compost or other rich organic matter. Squash rely on consistent moisture but avoid wetting the leaves; 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly is best. Make the most of your food growing efforts by keeping plants fed with a continuous-release plant food.

Most sources say (as Seattle Tilth's Maritime Northwest Garden Guide does) the gardener should allow 18-24 inches between plants, which would mean you could plant all 6 starts in one 4′ by 6′ raised bed.

Zucchini has a reputation for being an ultra-prolific summer producer. But if you grow zucchini too close together, your crop may suffer. Zucchini plants can grow quite large, and it's hard to imagine that when you're looking at a single small seed or young plant.

A month after planting, begin fertilizing your zucchini plants with Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules, which will deliver continuous food during the growing season. The result? A bigger harvest than you'd glean from unfed plants! Be sure to follow label directions.

That increases the odds of pollination. Other summer squashes and pumpkins will also pollinate zucchini. Keep in mind that zucchini are self-fertile, so you don't need multiple plants for pollination. But having more than one can improve fruit set.

Squash don't technically need trellises and there are some bush-type squash that stay so compact that they don't need extra support. But if you want to grow vining squash in a small space or mixed bed garden, growing squash vertically can save you a lot of space and there are other benefits too. Space saving.

Quick Guide to Growing Squash

Give squash plants room to sprawl by planting them 3 to 6 feet apart. Grow them in an area that gets 6 or more hours of sun and has rich, well-drained soil. Give your native soil a nutrient boost by mixing in several inches aged compost or other rich organic matter.

Typically, in-row plant spacing ranges from 12-18 inches apart for cucumbers in irrigated plantings. Summer squash are often planted 24-30 inches apart while winter squash are planted 30-48 inches apart. Pumpkin spacing in row is commonly 36-60 inches apart depending on vining habit and expected fruit size.

Squash plants are heavy water feeders, so you should make sure they have enough soil moisture. Always soak the soil thoroughly when watering. Vine crops need about one inch of water from rainfall or irrigation each week during the growing season.