More hydroponic melons started

Bato buckets of melon starts.

Today, I sowed Israeli melons in 10 more Bato buckets. Unlike my previous starts in Oasis cubes, I directly sowed the seed into the medium in the buckets.

The medium is composed of about half and half perlite and coconut coir.

I've placed the buckets in the greenhouse to keep them warm, as nights are still chilly in the 50s. In the greenhouse, lows stay in the upper 60s, so the melons should germinate faster.

If the starts are successful, then I should harvest melons from these buckets about two weeks earlier than melons sown directly in the field at the first of April.

As for the melons started in February, they're growing slowly after having dehydrated. I was unaware of how dry perlite can be, and when I transplanted the seedlings into the perlite, I did not water the buckets thoroughly enough. They are recovering, but I think I've lost some of their potential advantage.

Melons started in early February in Oasis cubes, transplanted to Bato buckets in late February.

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