I have collected many 5-gallon buckets from fast-food restaurants and keep ProMix on hand,so in your shoes, I'd just plan to transplant them to one of the buckets and leave them there. They're about the right size needed for the root system if you plant one per container.

Your planting zone isn't listed, but that would be helpful (you can enter it on your member page through the edit function). Many of us automatically look to see what your zone is when questions are asked -- it has a bearing on planting times or growth seasons, etc.

Is it too early in your area to transplant them outside?

Here is a link that might be useful: Member Pages

anney offers a good suggestion on the buckets. Since you started them way too early, you'll need to get them where they can grow permanently now. You can't hold them "for a few weeks".

Dave

Thanks. Finding my USDA zone was a wild goose chase, as I get listings of everything from 8b to 10 for my area in Southern California. I listed my Western Gardener zone as well, as it takes my altitude more into account.

Our current weather is low 70's during the day and mid 40's at night. It's going to get a little cloudy next week with lows in the low 40's, although I have found that living in a slightly elevated altitude, even when they give us lows for our area, we are usually a few degrees cooler.

With this being my first year, I jumped in head first before reading, so I know I started them, and a few other plants (several yellow crookneck squash), too early.

Does the soil stay warmer or cooler in a container versus an in-ground bed? It would have the advantages of being warmed in the bucket during the day by the warm temps, but then it would be cooled by the low temps at night.

Yes containers warm faster but also cool down faster unless insulated in some fashion.

Do you know your soil temps? Soil temp 6" down is a more valid indicator for proper planting times than air temps.

As to your zone, you might find you do better with the Sunset zones specific to that part of the country, or is that the "19" you are using?. Most CA gardeners find them to be more valid and they are much more detailed. Not of much help to the rest of us unfortunately so including both in your label would help.

But based on discussions I've read on the California Gardening forum here you need to get that garden ready ASAP already. ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunset Gardening zones

If it were me, I'd put them in the ground wherever you can fit them, then keep floating row cover or bed sheets handy, and/or maybe some plastic as well. I'd put some stakes in around them right now to hold the covers off them, and lay out the covers next to them to keep it all easy to do even if I get home late from work.

Dave- Yes, the 19 is the Sunset climate zone..it's from my Sunset Western Gardener book, so I called it by the wrong title.

I don't know my soil temp, and I've searched high and low for my digital probe thermometer that seems to be lost from the move...you know, one of those things you put in a 'special' place so you won't lose it, and then you can't remember where the 'special' place is...I'll have to do another search for it.

I ran out of room in my first garden area that I dug. I did that one before any research. I have another area to dig out, but it's on the same slope as the first one, which has been problematic for a host of reasons, so I think I'm going to terrace it. I've got some work cut out for me to get it done...stupid day job gets in the way, or I'd have that thing done in no time! :)

I do have a place I can put them in the ground, so I may take knittlin's advice and get them in the ground. It's just at the top of the slope and a bit of a pill to get to, but I'll manage. I may try to dig/cut a path to the top. I'm short on 5 gallon buckets or anything large enough for them to stay in long term, so this is likely the best option. I've got material I can use as row covers if it gets cold again.

Unless those are very special zucchini or you've started a large number of seeds, I would simply ditch them and start over. From personal experience, I can tell you that trying to correct a mistake by just sticking plants anywhere will usually cause more problems than the plants were worth in the first place. As a matter of fact, I just came in from setting out some multiplier onions I had forgotten, which are kind of special, but am already regretting where I planted them. My garden is not ready either. I also have a day job and it does get in the way of more fun things, but I am very thankful that I still have a job : )

Don't I need to harden them off before they go outside? I prepared a place in the garden for them, and I can plant them today, but I didn't think I was supposed to plant them without hardening them off first...

Yes, you do need to harden them off. One way to do that after planting is to use gallon cans over them. Cut the complete bottom out of the can (using a can opener of course), then cut halfway around the other end and bend it up. Place a can over each plant and face the top opening east.

Nowadays gallon metal cans are kind of hard to find. School cafeterias may have a bunch of them, or you might find a lot of them at the recycling center. If you can't find enough of them, you can improvise ~ milk jug with bottom cut off and painted black maybe (cut a larger hole in the top and face it east), lightly covering with some loose straw mulch on top (just thick enough that you can still see plenty of green under it), pieces of fabric held up with bamboo skewers and with opening towards the east, or maybe even just cover them all with that thicker floating row cover that protects against freezes.

I've never tried any of these suggestions except the cans (and they do work well), but it just seems like the others would work since they'd protect the plants a bit, but still allow them to toughen up. I think I just might try the floating row cover idea this year.