A catalogue of trial, error and advice

ArbitraryRandom

I'm hoping not. The friend who poisoned the brambles in the back drilled into the stump in a few places and injected it with something toxic looking. 

But at least if a digger is needed, it'll be easier to get into/use in the front. 

ArbitraryRandom

So, I've been following advice re waiting until my squash seed (and two courgette seeds I started after my T&M order arrived) had two 'real' leaves before planting out. 

Over the last month or so, I've been introducing them outside - reaching the point of leaving them outside permanently in the last 2/3 weeks. 

I was planning on putting them into their final positions this weekend, but in the few days, they seem to have been struggling a bit. Not sure what the problem is, so I'm hoping you can help me diagnose before it's too late to turn it around? 

I've been making sure they get water every day - with me watering if there's no rain forecast. They've got seaweed meal mixed into the compost of their pots and have been having 'grow more' (which I believe is a balanced fert) at the recommended concentration in their water every Sunday. 

The munching I know is slugs (and it's basically stopped since I got the blue sweeties), it's the yellowing edges that I'm worried about. 

-taff

Those leaves are super crispy...basically they've been burned. They can't take up water fast enough. If the central leaves are still growing, it will bounce back but if it's in a container, make sure it's always damp. You could also try a bit of epsom salts. To be honest, you don't ned to feed them really until they start flowering/start growing fruits. And it also depends on the compost, some stuff is really rubbish, some is good and even if you think it's a good make, it can still be rubbish ...minefield.

ArbitraryRandom

So, too much sun/not enough water. 

Thanks - google has 'yellowing leaves' as too much/too little water and/or too much/too little sun and/or vine weevils so it's tough to know what's going on without experience  

They're still growing well enough from the middle so I'll see how they do for the rest of the week and maybe plant them out 

-taff

That's about the size of it yeah. When you plant out, put a stake in near the plant because if you do need to water in the future, you know where to put it. Also, create a kind of moat around the plant too, it'll save the water running off. And I don't know if you know or not, but any part of the plant vines that touch the earth will probably root [ same with tomatoes] and it will take up more goodness that way so let it if it does You can train it where you want to it go, I am almost certain, but not totally, that you can train it in the direction of the first true leaf, for example, in the bottom pic above, the one that;s facng down, it will grow in that direction...I think...

ArbitraryRandom

Thanks. I was planning on burring the pot it's currently in next to it - then I can just water into the pot and it'd go right to the roots. 

Part of me is debating planting it directly out in the garden though, given how rampant the bind weed and other 'troublesome' plants are being. 

I have prepared a bed for it, but I recently bought a 130L tub (70cm diameter/50cm tall) that I'm planning on putting a crab apple in next year. I'm starting to think I might transplant it into there, just so I can control a little better its growing environment, and have it grow up a trellis. This year is just about experimenting after all, and it's my first real attempt at a proper crop (but don't tell the strawberries, they'll sulk). 

The courgettes will have to go in the ground (unless I buy another couple of large tubs). 

twopenny

Wait for a couple of good sized leaves to grow before you put it in the ground.
Once in (puddle the hole, fill in and water again so the soil has no air pockets, then leave them) and they should romp away.
You don't normally feed seedlings. The air is horribly hot and dry. Growmore is more for mature plants and if put in the small pot it is possible it'burned' the roots a bit.
Yellow leaves usually means too much water. Brown not enough.
Are you using tap water to water them? If so are you leaving it to stand for at least a day for the chlorine etc to evaporate?

Lots of little things that become an organised habit with practise.
They will need feeding once growing because they grow huge. Gentler and more easily taken up is a feed as you water. Phostrogen is great stuff. Recommend to me by a gardener decades ago and it's still going which is proof it's good. 
Use with water once a fortnight.

Farway

twopenny said:

Wait for a couple of good sized leaves to grow before you put it in the ground.
Once in (puddle the hole, fill in and water again so the soil has no air pockets, then leave them) and they should romp away.
You don't normally feed seedlings. The air is horribly hot and dry. Growmore is more for mature plants and if put in the small pot it is possible it'burned' the roots a bit.
Yellow leaves usually means too much water. Brown not enough.
Are you using tap water to water them? If so are you leaving it to stand for at least a day for the chlorine etc to evaporate?

Lots of little things that become an organised habit with practise.
They will need feeding once growing because they grow huge. Gentler and more easily taken up is a feed as you water. Phostrogen is great stuff. Recommend to me by a gardener decades ago and it's still going which is proof it's good. 
Use with water once a fortnight.

And it gives you lovely blue fingers

twopenny

Farway, Miracle grow is the coloured one. Fairly pathetic too as I found because it was cheaper and highly advertised I believed them.

Phostrogen is white and clear. 
Granted, once opened it can absorb moisture and get annoyingly sticky. I put it in an old storage jar by the sink through the summer. No one knows it's not coffee   

Farway

twopenny said:

Farway, Miracle grow is the coloured one. Fairly pathetic too as I found because it was cheaper and highly advertised I believed them.

Phostrogen is white and clear. 
Granted, once opened it can absorb moisture and get annoyingly sticky. I put it in an old storage jar by the sink through the summer. No one knows it's not coffee   

Looks like we both fell for the same marketing then , mine finished up as blue gunge once it sucked all the moisture out of the air.

One of them you could buy, and I did, a hose attachment that would mix the powder in as you watered the plants. Another con I fell for