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#1
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Watermelon seedlings
less than one week ago I planted about 400 watermelon seedlings in
little seedling trays. I put a little Miracle Gro on them. at this point 95% have sprouted and are 8" tall. since this is my first time planting watermelon, I was wondering what they should look like at this point. They are only 8" stems with the white part of the seed on top - no leaves. The stems have turned a whitish color and some are toppling over. the soil is damp - not too wet. Is that good or bad? When should I move them outside? Also, I'm in Arizona. Is this an OK time to plant them? |
#2
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Watermelon seedlings
Rich wrote:
less than one week ago I planted about 400 watermelon seedlings in little seedling trays. I put a little Miracle Gro on them. at this point 95% have sprouted and are 8" tall. since this is my first time planting watermelon, I was wondering what they should look like at this point. They are only 8" stems with the white part of the seed on top - no leaves. The stems have turned a whitish color and some are toppling over. the soil is damp - not too wet. Is that good or bad? When should I move them outside? Also, I'm in Arizona. Is this an OK time to plant them? I think you have committed several errors here. 1) Watermelons are best planted in the ground where they are to grow, they don't transplant well unless you take great care not to disturb the tender roots. 2) They are 8" tall with no leaves because they didn't get enough light. 3) Never fertilize seeds when they are germinating, everything they need is in the seed until they start developing true leaves. 4) If the top of the soil is wet the seedlings may be falling over either from being too tall and weak or they are succumbing to "damping-off" disease. It seems to me that it may be kind of late to be planting watermelons in Arizona unless you are at high altitude. I would give up on your seedlings and try a new planting in the ground outside. You will probably loose all of your present seedlings if you were to try and transplant them outside in the heat and sun without going through a process of "hardening-off". Sorry, but that's the way I see it. Bill |
#3
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Watermelon seedlings
"Rich" wrote in message ... less than one week ago I planted about 400 watermelon seedlings in It appears to me that what you planted were seeds. What you have now are seedlings. Watermelons do not do very good as transplants. It is much better to plant them directly in the ground. -- 73 de Bob NS9G |
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