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General information and discussion about cultivating beans, peas, peanuts, clover and vetch.

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Old May 19, 2013   #1
RebelRidin
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Default Early transplants & plantings - Beans & Squash

Around the end of the first week in April I began to acceept that no matter what it was going to be a cold slow spring. I was getting pretty irritated with the weather outlook. Normally I can plan on planting beans and squash by April 20. As I sat inside on a unusually cold weekend after setting out my coles I decided to chance some seed on growing transplants for things I never had. So I started inside in peat pellets some pole beans, zuchinni, yellow squash, cantelope, cucumbers and gourds. I thought it might make up for some lost time waiting for the spring warm up.

Anyway, they germinated and grew faster than I was prepared for and I went ahead and planted them out about two weeks later. I also went ahead and planted some early bush beans. I didn't necessarily expect any of it to work out but it kept me occupied. To my surprise much of it has made it pretty well even though they had to weather several frosts right after they were set out with just some rowcover for protection.

The white seeded Contender pole beans are doing very well and have just started to top my six foot trellises. The rattlesnake beans are not growing quite so quickly but still have two feet of growth. Almost all of the pole beans I set out made it trhough fine.

Two thirds of the zuchinni and yellow squash plants hung in and are now taking off as well as most all of the gourds. I did cheat a bit with some black plastic to war the ground for them.

The cucumbers did not do as well, losing about half of them to damping off and virtually all of the cantelopes. I just replanted the cukes and melons today.

Overall I am pleased enough. With the weather we have had I would only now be getting seed in the ground for these things. Instead I have beans and squash about three weeks ahead and may even see a few early cucumbers as well. I am most pleased with the pole beans and may well be starting them early from now on.

Anyway, I thought I would share a few pics and ask how many folks here routinely transplant beans, squash, melons or cukes?
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Old May 19, 2013   #2
Father'sDaughter
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I don't grow melons, but I do grow zukes, cukes and beans -- all from transplants. Right now all the bean seedlings are out in my el cheapo mini green house because I ran out of time to plant them yesterday, and by the time I got home today it was raining. I'm going to try to get them out this week. The cukes and zukes will probably be ready to go out next weekend.
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Old May 20, 2013   #3
habitat_gardener
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I always start cukes, squash, and pole beans in small pots and transplant them. I can't count on getting to my gardens every day to check on my plants. Even when I put out transplants, I've found I do need to get to the garden the next day to make sure they're doing ok.

I haven't grown melons because I've had cool, windy garden sites. But this spring I got a garden in a hotter area, so I may try some melons. Now is just about the perfect time to plant them, though, so I'm running a little late for seed-starting.

I started some of my seeds in Happy Frog and some in diatomaceous earth (DE). For comparison, I started the same number of one bean variety in both. I got slightly better germination in the DE, and the root systems were incredible, but they were overcrowded and I had to pot them up in 6-packs. If I'd had time to go to the garden, I would have planted the DE-sprouted beans. I started the cukes in Happy Frog and the summer squash in DE, and both seem to be sprouting at the same rate.
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Old June 12, 2013   #4
RebelRidin
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I am pleased with the outcome of the indoor starts on the pole beans and squash. Being able to set them out as soon as the weather turned has put me weeks ahead of schedule. This week we are getting our first pole beans and squash. The bush beans that I direct seeded at the same time that I set out the squash and pole bean transplants are just now blooming.

To be picking pole beans and summer squash before early bush beans!

I think I'll be growing some pole bean and squash transplants next year too.
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