Does anyone know if I can plant summer squash (zucchini and yellow straightneck) seedlings deep? I got them started in plastic cups and they'll go into big pots. There's quite a bit of stem - 2 to 3" - below the cotyledons. A little leggy, I'd say.

Shadegardener said:Does anyone know if I can plant summer squash (zucchini and yellow straightneck) seedlings deep? I got them started in plastic cups and they'll go into big pots. There's quite a bit of stem - 2 to 3" - below the cotyledons. A little leggy, I'd say.

Well, I hope that you can as my summer squash seedlings were all extremely leggy. I planted them last Friday and Saturday and they are all looking great so far. Buried them up to their necks!

Rita - thanks for chiming in! Doesn't seem to matter how much light I gave them - they're starting to look like spaghetti strands.

I started my seeds way, way too early. I did have them under lights but yes, didn't seem to help much and they ended up looking like trees what with the long stem ad then the growing leaves way on top. So I planted those stems in ground.

I think that it is okay to do that because sometimes people say for Squash Vine Borer to cut out the larvae and then pile soil over the damaged section so that it will root. If that works then it should be okay just to bury the stem in leggy seedlings.

I've done that for the squash vine borers a couple times, and also when I partially break a stem.

Thanks for the advice! I had also thought about the borer remedies even though I've never dealt with them.

Good. My squash are not leggy but anything that will give them a boost is great with me. I am still holding off planting them outside as they are so touchy about cold. I tried one is a covered raised bed a couple of weeks ago. Dumb-dumb. It was still getting down to the mid to high 20's then. The dahlias went out yesterday to the covered beds and did just fine although it only got down to 34 in those beds. I put the pea seedlings out in the beds without cover for two nights and they did just fine also. Just for a measuring type comparison for you all. Then covered the bed as the rest of it is full of dahlia pots hardening off. Dahlias are also very touchy but they are doing well

I don't know anything about Dahlias but I do know the Summer Squashes don't like cold at all. So planting them too early usually doesn't work.

Mine are looking great, they all seem to be growing. I am sure that since this coming week expected to be high 60's and even into the 70's then they will really start to grow.

What's a good minimum plant-out temp for the squashes? They'll be going into big pots and I can let them sit on the concrete patio for a bit where it's protected from the north and west.

I am not sure, mine went out when the nights where about 45 for the lows overnight. But they are well mulched. I know they really don't like the cold.

Our temps here are so up-and-down that it's difficult to determine the best time to plant out. While temps will be moderate this week, Sat night is supposed to get into the upper 30's - one night out of seven.

Shadegardener said:Our temps here are so up-and-down that it's difficult to determine the best time to plant out. While temps will be moderate this week, Sat night is supposed to get into the upper 30's - one night out of seven.

I would bet on the upper 30's killing the squash. Unless it was covered or protected somehow.

That's kinda what I figured. Because the pots will be big, it gets a little tough to haul them in and out of the garage. Will probably just keep them in a window until after that cold night. I know some folks battling squash vine borers don't plant out until into June to avoid them, not sure I want to wait that long since our season can be a little short if we have a cool, wet spring or early fall frost.

When using squash started in cups, I set them up to the first true leafs. If they are to leggy the wind will play havoc with them.

Picked my first squash today, by the way. About 20 pounds of them.

Jim41 said:When using squash started in cups, I set them up to the first true leafs. If they are to leggy the wind will play havoc with them.

Picked my first squash today, by the way. About 20 pounds of them.

Wow, your picking already and here we are usually just setting them out. Of course mine are out early.

Jim - thanks for that info. I'm hoping to plant them after mid-week when the nighttime temps are a little more reasonable - like above the 40s! We're supposed to get down to the upper 30s tonight. All of the plants were confined to the garage today.