[VioletSky]

I'm very new at this so sorry if this sounds like a stupid question... how many squash will one plant produce?

[Jonajo]

i suspect it depends on so many things but last year I planted 4 butternut squashes and got over 30 large squashes.

[mumofstig]

Depends on which variety you plant, the smaller squashes tend to produce more, like say a courgette, and the bigger the fruit the fewer they produce.

My butternuts were not very good last year, as it was so very dry here, but i still got 3 or 4 a plant, whereas the Thelma Sanders gave me lots more

Which variety were you thinking of?

[VioletSky]

Wh00t!! I thought you might say one per plant, and I didn't want to take up so much allotments space for just one solitary squash!!

I only have 6' spare and I have seeds for:
1. Early fruiting summer butternut (800g)
2. Mixed winter squash (Harlequin, Celebration, Table Star, Sweet Lightning) (500g)
3. Mini pumpkin (3" diameter)

Mumofstig - I guess the last 2 on my list are small but I don't know how productive a courgette is... 

[paintedlady]

I don't know how productive a courgette is... 

hee hee, I'm sure you'll find out quickly.  Okay that sounded mean - once courgettes start to flower, you tend to have more than you actually need    Most years they are very productive, just occassionally a cool summer can knock them back but rarely do you get none.

[mumofstig]

Well none of those are the humungous type, so you need to alow about a 3ft x 3ft area for each one you plant, although some of them do trail all over the place
The mini pumpkin should give you quite a few as they don't take long to ripen, and I've grown Table Star and Sweet lightning with good results, more fruit than the butternuts, but the butternuts are usually bigger fruit, depending on variety.

They like plenty of feeding, muck, compost or chicken pellets, whatever you have really.

Good luck with them

[Sue33]

We got about 5/6 butternut squashes per plant, if you get too many you can always swop with another plotholder for something else or with courgettes we were giving loads of them away to friends and family 

[Pompey Spud]

For smaller squashes, train them upwards on canes etc if you're tight for space.

[Snoop]

I grew butternut squash last year for the first time. I grew them in the same way as the locals grow melons round here:

Two plants side by side (sown together in a 5 inch pot to get going) popped in a hole with loads of muck at the bottom, and then train the trailing bits of plant in a circle. That way, they take up less space and are still very productive.

I had five plants and so many squash I was giving them away, as my partner claimed he didn't like them. This year I'll be growing eight plants (butternut and potimarron) and keeping all the fruit. Now he's discovered squisotto as we call it (squash risotto), I'm not giving any away.

[madcat]

I don't know how productive a courgette is... 

Most years they are very productive, just occassionally a cool summer can knock them back but rarely do you get none.

They like sunshine as well as water and rich feeding.  That was my problem last year with them, too much shade ....     
Remember the winter squash keep really well for several months, kept cool but above freezing.  Brilliant addition to roast veggies in the winter months.

[interlocutor]

We grew Turks turban last  year and are still eating them. They are really hard to cut up as the outer skin is so tough but really worth the struggle as they taste wonderful roasted and in soup. And of course they keep for ages. We got about 6-8 off each plant only about 4 - 5 Butternut.

[bonfire]

My answer to this is that one is too many for me.

As for Teruel ....the mind boggles- surely no one would grow boring butternut squashes instead of wonderful melons?  I would give a pint of blood to be able to grow decent melons outdoors........

There's nowt so queer as folk.....

[Tattyanne456]

I grew several Butternuts last year. I interplanted them with sweetcorn and then trailled them in and around. Most of the butternut produced several fruits averaging 6 per plant with one exception which I think was Harrier producing somewhere in the region of 25 fruits! Unfortunately the storage was too damp, plastic shed thing, and I lost loads to rot so I need to think my overwintering storage for this year as we dont have a garage.

[Jonajo]

My answer to this is that one is too many for me.

As for Teruel ....the mind boggles- surely no one would grow boring butternut squashes instead of wonderful melons?  I would give a pint of blood to be able to grow decent melons outdoors........

There's nowt so queer as folk.....

Ah but a decent butternut squash, cooked/dealt with PROPERLY - and that means not a drop of water anywhere near it during cooking (I know several folk who simmer or even boil their squashes, yet wonder why it is tasteless!), is a wonderful thing indeed:

 Slow roasted with whole garlic before mashing;
 
 Roasted with a few spices and turned into soup;

 Sauteed in butter with garlic and sage and then mixed with a bit of parmesan to be used as a filling for ravioli (or even as a pasta sauce itself with just creme fraiche added and then mixed with freshly cooked pasta).....

[Snoop]

My answer to this is that one is too many for me.

As for Teruel ....the mind boggles- surely no one would grow boring butternut squashes instead of wonderful melons?  I would give a pint of blood to be able to grow decent melons outdoors........

There's nowt so queer as folk.....

Who said I didn't grow melons (as well)?

Anyway, when you've been snowed in for a few weeks over winter, a butternut squash baked in the oven is a thing of joy.