Quick Squash, Pumpkin Starts the Oven Method
This is a very fast method for starting spuash, cucumber, melon and pumpkin starts in 5 days. Yes, really in 5 days! The seeds germinate with the light and heat of your oven light. Be sure not to preheat your oven while it is being used to start seeds. Burnt peat moss doesn't smell too good.
Only start your seeds 5 to 7 days ahead of repotting them into the ground or large pots under lights, because they don't hold in the peat pots for too long. (Ask me how I know...)
These were started April 7th.
Day 1 - Place peat pot disks into pan with water to re-hydrate.
Line up, lable and plant disks with 1 or 2 seeds.
Place in oven with oven light on.
Day 2 - Keep disks moist by watering daily.
In the back row you can already see the plant
starting to immerge.
Day 3 - See the green starting to pop out.
Water.
Day 4 - Over-night leaves for the pumpkins. Amazing.
Keep moist.
Day 5 - Most of our seeds have germinated,
except the cantalope. Water.
Day 7 - I skipped a photo day. Ready to transplant.
Keep moist.
Fully leafed out and ready to transplant is 7 days or less.
Gardening to me is a GRAND experiment. You never know how it is really going to work out given all the variables. This method is perfect for gardens with short growing seasons or those of you with green house or lighting systems to keep these plants going.
My biggest hope in trying this method was to tenderly care for some heirloom Green Hubbard seeds that I had received from a seed swap. All of them germinated, but I didn't transplant them quick enough. I have only 3 Green Hubbard plants growing in my garden, instead of 10 that I had hoped. Most of the others; pumpkins, watermelon, cucumbers and cantalope that I started this way didn't make it. But for the first time ever, by direct seed planting, Baby Watermelons are growing well and I believe will produce this year. Also direct seeded are; Butternut Squash and Sugar Pumpkins that are growing like crazy.
All in all, this method works well, if you are ready for plants fast. So it's all about timing and preparation.
Great method. Give it a try.
Only start your seeds 5 to 7 days ahead of repotting them into the ground or large pots under lights, because they don't hold in the peat pots for too long. (Ask me how I know...)
These were started April 7th.Day 1 - Place peat pot disks into pan with water to re-hydrate.
Line up, lable and plant disks with 1 or 2 seeds.
Place in oven with oven light on.
Day 2 - Keep disks moist by watering daily.
In the back row you can already see the plant
starting to immerge.
Day 3 - See the green starting to pop out.
Water.
Day 4 - Over-night leaves for the pumpkins. Amazing.
Keep moist.
Day 5 - Most of our seeds have germinated,
except the cantalope. Water.
Day 7 - I skipped a photo day. Ready to transplant.
Keep moist.
Fully leafed out and ready to transplant is 7 days or less.
Gardening to me is a GRAND experiment. You never know how it is really going to work out given all the variables. This method is perfect for gardens with short growing seasons or those of you with green house or lighting systems to keep these plants going.
My biggest hope in trying this method was to tenderly care for some heirloom Green Hubbard seeds that I had received from a seed swap. All of them germinated, but I didn't transplant them quick enough. I have only 3 Green Hubbard plants growing in my garden, instead of 10 that I had hoped. Most of the others; pumpkins, watermelon, cucumbers and cantalope that I started this way didn't make it. But for the first time ever, by direct seed planting, Baby Watermelons are growing well and I believe will produce this year. Also direct seeded are; Butternut Squash and Sugar Pumpkins that are growing like crazy.
All in all, this method works well, if you are ready for plants fast. So it's all about timing and preparation.
Great method. Give it a try.
Comments