Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

bonnie0128 4/25/2014, 11:44 am

Ack! I just looked at my seedlings and the zucchini and cocozelle squash are setting flowers. They are still in large red solo cups! The flowers look like they are going to be tiny. My last frost date isn't until May 15 (ish) and my garden space isn't ready yet. Should I remove the flowers? Should I quickly get a space ready for them this weekend and just cover if frost is forecast? I just up-potted last weekend and they really took off (now have 2-3 true leaves per plant). Any advice? affraid

brainchasm 4/25/2014, 11:58 am

Yes, carefully pinch off the blossoms. The plant will refocus its efforts into growing bigger and stronger, instead of trying to have plant nookie Wink

jmsieglaff 4/25/2014, 12:31 pm

Please let us know how these squash do. Cucurbits develop long tap roots and generally do not take well to root disturbance--like transplanting unless the plants are rather young. If your plant out date is mid May and you're already getting plants with flowers I wonder if they may not take well to transplanting, over 3 weeks away because the roots will be bound up in their containers. Now I can't say I've transplanted any cucurbits aside from very tiny ones--so maybe this issue is overstated?

bonnie0128 4/25/2014, 1:06 pm

brainchasm wrote:Yes, carefully pinch off the blossoms. The plant will refocus its efforts into growing bigger and stronger, instead of trying to have plant nookie

Hehe...I'll let them get a little taller so I can get under the bud easily and then snip them off. Thanks, you confirmed what I was thinking.

bonnie0128 4/25/2014, 1:10 pm

jmsieglaff wrote:Please let us know how these squash do. Cucurbits develop long tap roots and generally do not take well to root disturbance--like transplanting unless the plants are rather young. If your plant out date is mid May and you're already getting plants with flowers I wonder if they may not take well to transplanting, over 3 weeks away because the roots will be bound up in their containers. Now I can't say I've transplanted any cucurbits aside from very tiny ones--so maybe this issue is overstated?

I'll try to keep you updated. I followed the starting suggestion of 6-8 weeks but that was obviously grossly overestimated. I started two more last weekend as I may take a couple of these bigger ones to a plant swap. And, obviously, I could easily start a couple more for insurance since they are germinating so quickly (one has come up in about 6 days). They seem to have handled the first transplant very well (I even buried the stem a bit like you do with tomatoes, though not as much) as they seemed a little lanky. I will probably set them out soon and cover them with a milk jug or something for overnight so they don't get too root bound. I have a feeling these little guys are going to be very prolific!

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Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Re: Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Re: Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Re: Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Re: Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups

Re: Summer Squash Setting flowers in Solo Cups


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