very leggy squashes

[COMPOST CORNER]

My Pumpkins, courgettes and butternut squash seedlings have been kept in the house in a south facing room, away from the window (to prevent night time chiils and owing to lack of windowsill room). They have now become very stretched and leggy(5" or 6") whilst still only having the seed leaves. Any suggestions as to how I can strengthen them? I have moved them to my unheated GH, but am concerned that
A) this may be a problem because of the lower temperature, especially at night and
B) the plants may be too weak to grow sucessfully.

Any suggestions?

[Jenegade]

Not sure I would put them in an unheated greenhouse yet, it's still pretty cold! Though it depends on the temperatures you're getting down there.

My squash are indoors on a table just next to the window so that at night time when I shut the curtains they're inside the room. You could put them on the windowsill during the day and move them back into the room at night. I think other people here do that as well.

I would definitely wait a bit before putting them in an unheated greenhouse just now.

[sheep farmers other half]

Mine are in a unheated greenhouse and doing fine it may be worth repotting them deeper, like tomatoes so the compost covers more of the stem

[kentvegplot]

They really need the light. With only the seed leaves, they're not going to thrive. I would risk putting them out in the gh, they can always be protected with an extra bit of fleece on colder nights.

[Flummery]

Mine have been sown in an unheated greenhouse - about 3 weeks ago - and stayed in there. They are short and chunky and look ok. I'd be ore concerned in this weather about wind and slug damage of I put them out too early. Try them in the greenhouse all day and in at night for a week or so till they toughen up. Then out in the greenhouse all the time for a week, before you put them outside.

[vicky]

Mine were planted out last week and look fine (quite a sheltered spot though).
They do grow more roots from the stem like tomatoes so can be potted on a bit deeper.
If they are too leggy the wind can damage them quite easily

[gojiberry]

Looking at the forecast for the next 4/5 days they are going to be OK out in the greenhouse and will benefit from the extra light.

Ian

[Mchanen]

Mine are a bit leggy as well, about 6-7"- think i will move to nearer the window in the day and them move them back to where they are now out of the way at night.

I asked about if i should do something about them being so leggy in another post and was told to just leave them to it so that's what i'm doing

[FoxHillGardener]

They will grow roots from the stems if you bury them, but can also be prone to rotting. So I'd use a short stake to stop them flopping about and then when you plant them out, don't plant deep to bury the stem, but instead plant at normal depth but earth up round the stem and stake to help support them. Does that make sense?

[Mchanen]

Cool- i shall do that with one of my courgettes to see how it goes then- if it seems happy with earthing up around the stem then i shall do it to the other.

[Iamhanuman]

i'm with fox hill
stake them if you are worried about them flopping
mine are a wee bit leggy
same thing - south facing window indoors
but today i have started hardening them off and one of them is a wee bit floppy but the rest are standing up strong

[Kath]

I am confused now!!! I thought the stem on a courgette would rot if you earthed it up?

[Flummery]

Some people earth them up Kath but I find that with anything a succulent as that it CAN rot. I don't earth up.

[Mchanen]

Hmm- well maybe i should just leave them to it and see what happens- seems it can be a bit hit and miss earthing them up and when i asked about staking them i was told to just leave them to flop and they will sort themselves out.

I'm going to move my courgettes to sunnier spot in the day from now on- i have attached a pic of my courgettes in the hope that the friendly people on here will reassure me that they will turn into courgette plants eventually

[FoxHillGardener]

Their stems look a bit thin - what size pots are they? Have I got my sense of scale all wrong?

Hmm- well maybe i should just leave them to it and see what happens- seems it can be a bit hit and miss earthing them up and when i asked about staking them i was told to just leave them to flop and they will sort themselves out.

I'm going to move my courgettes to sunnier spot in the day from now on- i have attached a pic of my courgettes in the hope that the friendly people on here will reassure me that they will turn into courgette plants eventually