When Do I Transplant?

Hello all...

I am a newbie to gardening. I have taken up the Square-Foot Gardening method, so I am totally organic.

I need to find out when is the proper time to transplant my Cantaloupe "buds"? I started them in peet pots, and now have two stalks standing just under 4" tall. Only the 'cotyledons' are showing at this point though. No 'true leaves' yet.

When do I start putting it outdoors to "harden-off", which I've read so much about. How long before I put it in my above-ground box? Thanks in advance to all who help with planting wisdom!

Curcurbits such as cucumbers, melons, squash, and watermelon absolutely must have supplemental light from fluorescent lights no further than 2 inches above the leaves or they will grow spindly and die.

You are welcome to plant those outside right now without any need for hardening off, or try to keep them going indoors. I start my cucumber seeds indoors in moist seed starting mix and transplant them 2-3 days later. Cukes come up FAST.

I've not heard of planting cantaloupes in August, but I have not yet had success growing cantaloupes.

Note that cantaloupes take up a LOT of space. They can grow 8-12 feet long. Supporting cantaloupe plants and the melons (some people use panty hose) is a good thing for the space savings, but keeping them within 1 square foot still seems unlikely to me. :)





This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 12:50 PM

Thanks for thoughts. I wondered if they wouldn't die from this ridiculously hot weather here in the Dallas area if I put them outside now. It's been in the triple digits about every day and will continue for another week or two.

TXBBQ, did you put your babies outside, yet?

Not yet. I read where you're supposed to wait till you get the first "true leaves" before putting them outside to 'harden off'. So that's what I'm waiting for. Two leaves have popped out of the middle of the cotyledons. I will start sitting them out in the shade a slightly cooler weather for a few hours this week. Hopefully I'll be successful in transplanting them.

Thanks for the interest in helping.

You should sit them outdoors from morning till night for the first week then place them out 24 hours after that, they are going leggy due to not enough natural light, you could pot them into larger pots for a few weeks till you are happy to plant outside in there growing space, your artificial lights indoors are allowing the plants to grow too tall looking for light and this will weaken the stems, maybe cause them to rot/wilt before the get set outdoors. good luck. WeeNel.

That's exactly what's happening. They're weakening and hardly able to stand on thown now, WeeNel. Thanks for the advise. It may be too late, though. Should I add more soil for support and then sit outside to harden off?

T, cheering you on.

TX, how are you seedlings doing? any updates? i hope you're having a great weekend.

Hi guys...

I got really discouraged. My cantaloupe seedlings didn't have a strong enough grow light (just bought one last Saturday) and they got ling & spindly and finally died.

I bought some tomato plants from Lowe's (DESPERATE) and they're in the garden now. This was about a month ago. They look like they're doing fair. I am hoping.

I am getting okra like crazy! Also, watermelons are doing better and my collards are starting to come up nicely. Going to make and plant a new box in a couple of weeks and hope for TX sweet onions and move veggies before frost, which for us is very late December.