d**n! - is there any hope?

[Svengali]

I put a load of courgette seeds into a propagator in my summerhouse, & got so busy elsewhere trhat I forgot about them!
Checked this morming, & they have stalks 1/4 inch diameter, about 4" long, & they are falling over!
Can they be saved?

JeremyB

[Svengali]

[littlegem]

svengali, not too sure they will survive, all my courgettes have never had that much stalk length, they always tended to have about an inch until first leaves were pretty big then started growing properly, think you have time to try again.

[MrsKP]

and i thought mine (same description as Svengali's) were doing really well !   ::)

They look really healthy and are supporting themselves althought leaning somewhat.

they've been in an unheated bedroom that gets lots of light in the morning.

can someone explain to this idiot why they're not worth carrying on with please.



:P

[Mrs Ava]

It is a bit iffy with squashes when the stems get long because they are so fragile and snap just like that, and then there is no hope!  Also, if you try planting them deeply, as I have done in the past, there is a massive chance of the soft, turgid stems rotting off, as has happened to me in the past!  Mine are in my conservatory, and as soon as they are through, they are off down to my very slightly heated greenhouse so they grow short and tough.  Hope that helps.

[MrsKP]

Thanks EJ.  I'll sow some more, but will keep going with these ones as an experiment just to see what happens,  to further my education as it were.

[Curryandchips]

It may be prudent to sow some more, and watch the existing plants to see how they fare ... nothing is lost that way except perhaps a few seeds. I have not started on my courgettes yet, it is still very early ...

[supersprout]

Agree curry, I wait until the third week in April to sow indoors, which means that Squash Sowing Week starts ... next week (17th) 8). The one indulgence this year was a yellow crookneck squash from Franchi (Friulana) which is supposed to be an early, so that got sown a week ago.

It's been hard waiting! Is your squash sowing schedule similar, or do you wait until early May?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine have got even more leggy; I'm just going to give them very careful treatment and hope for the best. I can't even put them anywhere better than a windowsill yet, but hopefully in the next week or so.

[fbgrifter]

if you really want to try6 and save them i would repot them in a john innes #2 and bury the seedling right down to the first leaves.  it will then either rot off, or it my produce roots along the stem.  don't water it at night only in the mornings.  best of luck....i don't sow mine till mid-may!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm thinking that may be a bit risky at this stage; I'm inclined to leave the stems above ground when I pot them up, then bury them later.

[Hippychick]

I'd have to agree with Robert. 

If you bury them now while they are so young chances are they will all rot.  I'd let them strenghthen up in the pot first then when you plant them out bury them if you think they need it. 

But like I always say, nothing ventured nothing gained.  If you are planting some more anyway why not bury half, then leave the others as they are and see what happens?  The very best thing about growing anything is the absolute pleasure of letting the plants tell you what works!!

Good luck

[MrsKP]

i'll leave mine where they are for the time being then to see what happens to them before i plant out, and sow more in about a month.  i was so pleased when they germinated too lol.

i'm either going to get a glut or jack, it will be a learning curve whatever.  thanks peeps and i hope JeremyB's reading this too  ;D

[Svengali]

I sure am reading this! I suppose that I WILL plant some more - didn't realise that I had been too early. Last year I had such poor germination that I decided to start quite early, and then if the first lot failed - as they did last year - I would still have time to sow more. This time I had 100% germination!
JeremyB

[Amazin]

I potted on some pumpkin, squash and melon seedlings last week - all around 4 - 6" tall. They're still a bit fragile so I've staked them with some of those little wooden barbecue skewers - ideal for plants at the 'toddler' stage.

[supersprout]

;D thanks for the idea amazin, perfect!

[Hippychick]

If it makes you feel any better I had a really poor year with my squashes last year aswell.  I thought the mice had got to the seeds, but I think it was just the poor spring we had.  I sowed v late as a second sowing and had a fair crop, but was too late for my butternuts and the baby bears only produced about 3 fruits each.  Am sowing under glass and outdoors this year so I have an insurance policy!
Children and puppy willing I will be potting up my courgettes seeds next week. ;D