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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Starting Squash

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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Starting Squash
  • Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:07:42 -0400


On Apr 20, 2012, at 9:30 AM, <sunnfarm AT netscape.com> <sunnfarm AT netscape.com> wrote:

I used to use TLC 50 trays. Plants transplant very well. I have even tossed extras on the side of the row  and stepped on them and they still grew.
I prefer to direct seed 2 seeds per hill and thin. The trouble with transplants is that they can quickly grow spindley if your delayed a few days from bad weather. Another problen is getting them out of the cells. The roots are very brittle and break off if you pull the wrong way... Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.

They are indeed much easier to transplant if you're able to put them out at just the right time, after the cell has filled with roots but before there's enough top growth that they need to be carefully disentangled from each other. If you get the development stage just about right, have them nice and wet, and push up a bit from underneath the cell I find they come out quite easily.

If I were in New Jersey, I might still be direct seeding. I found that, in my location, in some years by the time I had soil temperatures warm enough to plant, it was too late to get a full crop on winter squash and pumpkins. Starting with transplants gains me enough leeway in time to get around that; and germination's much better on a heat mat than in a field barely warm enough for the seed.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale




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