How and When to Start Your Zucchini and Squash Indoors: For New Gardeners!
Like cucumbers, zucchini and squash like the warm weather. It is best to start them indoors about four weeks before you have regular 60 degree nights and when the garden soil is warmed. That is about one week to germinate. Two weeks to grow indoors and one week to slowly acclimate them to the outdoor sun. You can push it a bit at mid 50 degree nights if you want. They seem to grow best in the 65-85 degree day range.
You want to use the larger container or cups as seen in the video. The key is to give them enough room to grow for those four or five weeks so that when you plant them into your garden, you don't overly disturb the roots. I've been doing transplants this way for years and have not had issues with transplants.
You only need to put one or two seeds in a starting container. Pick the seeds that look plump, large and healthy. They tend to germinate very well. You really only want one plant per planting hole in your garden. These plants will get very large and they are quite prolific. Less is more in these varieties. If two seeds come up, you should remove one.
Disease and insects can take a toll on your squash and zucchini plants over the growing season. I recommended starting a second season batch just like the way you planted them in the video but instead of starting them indoors, just set the seed tray outdoors in a shady area where the sun won't dry out the cells. Do this at about the time you harvest your first squash or zucchini. These new plants can replace beat up old plants or can go into other parts of your garden. I am in Maryland Zone 7 and can put out zukes and squash in May, June and July..
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