23,821 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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barrie2m_(6a, central PA)

A few years ago I might have agreed with Dave about transplanting cucs but there are often good reasons for starting indoors. One of my best reasons is to know the germination of plants and adjust planting routine accordingly. Another is that the cucumber beetles won't be devastating them as they emerge.

I like to plant both ways but I'm leaning to indoor starting when a good stand is important. Like other cucurbits you want to transplant before they start growing into each other. Mine are in the ground a week and I'm expecting them to takeoff any time now.

    Bookmark     April 29, 2015 at 3:11PM
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Eric (zone 5b)
You are all great! This has been very helpful! My beans, broccoli and kale are all doing well outside... So we'll just have to see how the cucumbers turn out!
    Bookmark     April 29, 2015 at 3:14PM
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gardenviking

I've put them inside at night and cut off the dead leaves and they're showing some progress sprouting new leaves.

    Bookmark     April 29, 2015 at 1:37PM
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kathyb912_in (5a/5b, Central IN)

I notice you're not answering where you live, so I'm guessing you've figured out that you put them outside way too early. :) Generally, you don't want to put tomatoes outside until the LOWS are consistently above 50 degrees, and peppers until the LOWS are above 55. That's typically a good couple weeks after your last frost date, unless your long range forecast says differently. Baby those damaged plants as an experiment to see how they do, but don't count on them as your main crop; you may not get much from them even if they survive. Since you say you have others in pots that are still OK, put them outside when the daytime temps are in the 70's, but bring them all inside at night until the lows are above 50-55. Peppers like it warm, warm, warm, even warmer than tomatoes. Good luck!

    Bookmark     April 29, 2015 at 2:17PM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

Well, all I got with the cornmeal in the damp newspaper was a bunch of baby centipedes! No earwigs! Nancy

    Bookmark     April 26, 2015 at 6:08PM
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gsweater

Sorry took so long to respond woohooman. Here's the one I'm referring to. I did this last year and it did in fact work. I'm not ambitious enough to go out with flashlights, filming at night like he does, but I caught a bunch. Cheap too.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 6:47PM
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Shayne Campbell

Hi, To answer your questions:

1)Site - Hill, tranche, or as is? see #3

2) Soil amendments or new soil? I have compost, shredded leaves, pit moss, can buy any mix they sell in stores. Watermelons love rich soil. I typically plant mine in Pure compost and will add 13-13-13 though out the year

3) Is it enough space for Sugar Baby? I can let it grow to my compost piles behind. If you can let them grow in your compost pile you will be happier in the long run. As long as they get 6+ hours sun

4) How many should I plant - one or two? If two - how close to each other? You typically want to plant them 36-48 inches apart. The vines can grow 10-25 ft in length so make sure you have the space (10 feet min).

Hope that helps and let me know what you decide.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 5:13PM
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galinas(5B)

Thank you, they should have enough sun and I have plenty of strait horse manure compost I can add. Would the water going to the planting site be an issue? Do I have to hill it up?

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 5:39PM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Geez, people. Perhaps the OP wants to use the raised bed simply for aesthetic reasons. Nothing wrong with that.

Rodney

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:49AM
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Peter (6b SE NY)

I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with it... just that might as well use it elsewhere where it will be more useful (and still look just as good)... assuming there is an elsewhere.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 12:05PM
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Peter (6b SE NY)

In my (limited) experience, not really. You can do a bit of training, but the vines are brittle and difficult to control. You can kind of direct it in one direction but trying to keep it in one direction only I don't think will work out. If they can sprawl out in 3 directions, then ok that might work.

This is a picture of my Small Sugar pumpkins from last year, at maybe 65% size. This is 2 plants but mostly just one in the picture. As you can see, it is taking over. They had like 10x10 space in the garden but that wasn't even close to enough. They grew out over the Spirea, onto the ground.. it was a mess. That fence is 6' high.

This is in the garden when they were maybe 40-50% size - 2 plants

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:59AM
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uncgdc_7b

Gotcha - thanks for the pics - that helps put things in perspective. I think I'll be looking for a place on the ground to plant it, or give to someone who has a little more room.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 12:04PM
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mystmaiden(texas zone 8)

Thanks all, I didn't know Burpee did that, will have to remember!

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 8:11AM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Just recently I had my own experience with Burpee selling something on an in-store seed rack but having no information online. So now if I come across something on a Burpee rack that sounds interesting and have never heard of before I'll look it up prior to buying.

Rodney

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:53AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)
    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 5:53PM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

How are you growing them? And where about are you located?

Rodney

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:42AM
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the_basicpoke(7a N.E. OK)

Thank you for all the answers. I am in zone 7a in northeast OK. I haven't had any trouble with birds eating my plants. I have never grown watermelons but have had success with cantaloupe. I may not have enough space for the watermelons but we'll see how it goes.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 6:25AM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

I wouldn't sow more watermelon seeds unless the rows are far apart. I'd leave the two that spouted next to each other and just let their vines sprawl down the empty part of the row.

Rodney

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:34AM
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Debbrah Williams

Hi, it looks to me like it has either been cross polinated with another member of the melon family, or it wasn't sure if it wanted to grow a fruit or a leaf. As in roses, which aren't related. Sometimes they will grow thorns on the flower petals as the petals and thorns are also considered leaves. Just a thought.

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 11:09AM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Watermelons will only cross with citron and other watermelons. And if the OP's melon is the result of cross pollination, which seems unlikely, then the crossing would had to have happened to the parent plant that produced the seeds this plant was grown from.

Rodney

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 11:29AM
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yayagardening

Chas045-Thanks!

    Bookmark     June 7, 2012 at 9:08PM
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xpeacock

http://www.veggiegardener.com/preventing-powdery-mildew-on-cucumbers-squash-melons/

Milk, baking soda and a drop of detergent (wetting agent).

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 10:21AM
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tcstoehr(8b Canby, OR)

It seems your test is only for P, K, Ca, Mg, pH and OM%. While this does reveal some potential issues it is a very incomplete test. What is revealed here of course is that you are quite low on Potassium and several good recommendations have been given for that. Your Ca and Mg and pH are quite adequate so you don't need to bother with limes.Keep in mind Greensand (if you use it) contains alot of Iron and Magnesium, and you're already more than sufficient in Magnesium. You may also be high in Iron for all we know. That's something you need to be aware of, many soil amendments contain additional minerals that may not be good. For example, I won't use chicken manure in my garden because I already have high levels of Phosphorous and Potassium.

I particularly like to know the Sulfur level because it is an important mineral for plant health and I also use a couple of soil additives that contain Sulfur (gypsum and ammonium sulfate), And since my Sulfur levels are reasonably low, I don't worry that I might be getting too high in Sulfur, for the time being anyway.

If it were me I'd want to know the Sulfur content, and all those others honestly. What if your Zinc levels are way low? They're probably not but I'd be curious.

The exchange capacities look pretty good from my limited understanding, excepting K which we understand.

I use a test that covers all the minerals listed in your report, and a few more. It costs $35 which I don't consider cheap but I value the information. It includes amendment recommendations per 1000 square feet. I did this for the last two years but will likely only do it every 2nd or 3rd year going forward.

    Bookmark     April 24, 2015 at 8:39AM    Thanked by lolear
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lolear(5b - Chicago)

So, tcstoehr, just to be clear, I can add both the muriate of potash for long term AND the kelp meal for the short term? How much of each should i add for a 4' x 8' bed with a 12" depth?

Thanks so much for your help.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 7:55AM
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zeuspaul(9b SoCal)

I don't know how you determined the 10 ft elevation rise from the pond to the garden. It is difficult to estimate over a distance of 2700 ft. You may be able to get a good number off a contour map or measure with a level.

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 5:52PM
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glib(5.5)

If slimiest-okra is the guy formerly known as slimy-okra, he is in Canada. in the US, it would be enough to buy a USGS topo map for your quadrant, indeed.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 6:10AM
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balloonflower(5b Denver CO, HZ 5-6, Sunset 2b)

What type of worm system do you have? Mine is just a tote with holes drilled in, so I rarely get liquid seeping out. Not an expert, but I believe that its very concentrated, so you do have to be careful with spraying or using unless well diluted. It's usually a sign of too wet conditions within (which I also will admit that mine is right now, as I just fed them a bunch of frostbit watermelon discovered hiding in the back of the freezer that didn't get turned into sorbet).

I use my castings by top dressing them on my container plants (mostly herbs). I have also been using them mixed into the mix when potting up my seedlings. Haven't had enough left to make tea from yet, but will probably do that later in summer and sub that for a fish/sea feeding on the herbs, but I'm not personally a fan of spraying.

It is quite a fun list. I'm on my second year with a pair of blueberries myself, but just had to replace one that didn't make it overwinter. What types of containers are you using for all the veg? And, I'll work on getting over jealousy of the tropicals like avocado!

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 6:49PM    Thanked by Annie
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planterjeff(7b Grant Park Atlanta)

I always remove the mulch and scratch it in the top layer of soil as others have mentioned, and I think it says on the bag. I also do container gardening, but still strive to create an active food web in my mix (and yes, worms do find their way into containers). The reason I remove the mulch is my garden is small so I don't mind and my mulch layer is about 4-6 inches deep so it would take some time for the ferts and things to get down to the roots which is where I want it. I also want to avoid them washing away, because like I mentioned I am container gardening. Secondly, the organic granular fert I use has a bunch of beneficial microbes that I am looking to get into the mix immediately and I really don't want it in my mulch. These microbes break down the fert so it can be accessible to the plants and by doing this it also speeds up composting, basically meaning my mulch will break much faster than I really wanted. I use it for moisture retention. The soil amendment part is just a bi-product for me too. I am sure if I had a large plot on regular dirt I would just broadcast too.

    Bookmark     April 28, 2015 at 5:32AM    Thanked by Annie
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charlieboring

I am in zone 7a and I tried overwintering my globe artichokes in the winter of 2013 by cutting them down, covering with leaves and then covering with a pot. The winter was harsh and it did not work. This year I planted both globe and imperial and am going to try again. My artichokes are in a raised bed and before the first freeze, I am going to cut them to 8 inches high, mound dirt around then with 1 inch on top; cover with shredded leaves and then cover with a plastic sheet. But I am not very concerned if that does not work because I believe I will get artichokes this year as an annual.

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 6:42AM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

I got tons of earwigs and ants and gave up on them! Nancy

    Bookmark     April 27, 2015 at 6:14PM
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