Veggie Seedling Update

My garden plan for this year includes 42 tomato plants.  However, I have planted over 100 tomato seedlings which will give me plenty of back-up for loss or damage (e.g. cut worms, frost) and I will also supply some to my mother and sister-in-law and a couple of neighbours – my extras rarely go to waste.  The tall seedlings on the left are the Italian beef steak variety.  They are definitely becoming more robust after a being spindly.

The swish chard are coming along slower than I would want.  I may have to start these a couple of weeks sooner next season.

As we do at the end of every growing season, last fall we saved some butternut squash seeds from a home-grown squash.  I planted nine of these seeds in three containers this spring but none of them germinated.  Normally we get excellent germination from seeds we recover so I’m not sure what happened; we’ll have to pay more attention this fall.  No worries though, my wife just purchased as few seedlings as they were about the same price as a package of seeds.

Cucumber, zucchini, muskmelon and pumpkin seedlings are coming along nicely.  My garden plan did not include growing pumpkins this year but my wife insisted that we plant some white pumpkins – I’m just not sure where I’ll be able to put one let alone three but I’ll find a way.  Maybe I’ll sneak them into one of the neighbours’ beds.

I will admit that, historically, I have not had good luck with muskmelon seedlings, mostly because I would over-handle them (they have very tender roots), fail to harden them off properly or transplant them too early (not hot enough).  This year my plan is to simplify my procedure – sort of.  I planted three seeds per 4” peat pot which will eventually be planted directly into the garden.  As they become established I will trim the number of seedlings keeping only the strongest/most vigorous plants in each pot.  I also plan to grow them vertically this summer.  I saw a video which shows the muskmelons vines growing vertically.  I also saw a site which the fruit suspended in makeshift panti-hose/nylon baskets.  This should save space and better protect the melons from rot, bugs and four-legged predators.