[AlaninCarlisle]

At my wife's request I'm going to grow Butternut Squash for the first time this year. Does anyone have any tips for growing them in the frozen North of England please?

I have a greenhouse and polytunnel as well as outdoor garden

[compostqueen]

They are a pain in the neck and there are many other squashes just as good and easier to grow. However, the gauntlet has been thrown down so you've got to give it a go    They need plenty of growing time and I think they would appreciate your PT. You could plant them undercover but allow them to grow out the door if you wish    They will appreciate a large planting hole filled with rotted muck and/or mixed with your soil.  I sow mine and plant them when they are robust enough to stand the cut and thrust of the great outdoors. They can't stand frost so you could steal a march and get them planted in the PT so they have a head start over the outdoor plantings

To encourage pollinators into your PT grow some calendula etc    You can take the leading shoot off the plant once you have about 3 to 5 fruits established per plant

Good luck 

[AlaninCarlisle]

What culinary squash would you recommend as an easier substitute CQ? I've room to grow a few

[Hamani]

With all squash's they need a lot of rich organic matter. Its a good idea to dig out about a cubuc foot of soil and replace it all with compost. Plant them in there and they'll be happy.

Another important point is that they love water on their roots (hence the organic matter, which helps hold it) but HATE it on the plant itself. A lot of people tend to plant them on a slight raised 'bump' and just water around them (rather then watering 'over' them as the normal practice).

Good luck!

- Gary.

[Hamani]

With all squash's they need a lot of rich organic matter. Its a good idea to dig out about a cubuc foot of soil and replace it all with compost. Plant them in there and they'll be happy.

Another important point is that they love water on their roots (hence the organic matter, which helps hold it) but HATE it on the plant itself. A lot of people tend to plant them on a slight raised 'bump' and just water around them (rather then watering 'over' them as the normal practice).

Good luck!

- Gary.

I'm growing 'turks turban' this year. Its an old variaty (which I always prefer) and it looks great!

[mumofstig]

It does look good, but is not noted for it's taste, unfortunately

[JayG]

They seem to struggle more than some other winter squashes given what our recent summers have been like - and the further north you are the more likely it is they won't deliver.

I suggest you grow at least one under glass, although it will then almost certainly need hand pollinating - if you grow a few outdoors too you will lessen the chances of finishing up with flowers of only one sex being produced at any given time, which is always a big frustration.

Winter Festival and Uchiki Kuri are good alternatives and both have done better here than Butternuts.

[compostqueen]

I think Turks Turban looks fab but that's about all 

A butternut type that I've grown successfully over the years is Green Striped Cushaw, which looks kind of butternut ish but is a "crookneck"   It's a good storer and makes a good pie as well as savouries

[gavinjconway]

What culinary squash would you recommend as an easier substitute CQ? I've room to grow a few

I grow loads of gemsquash and really like the acorn squashes. The acorns are a really delicious smooth better than butternut squash and the gems are totally different to any others you may have had.  They are all available here www.seedparade.co.uk and some info on gemsquash is here http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=98722.0

[Trillium]

I was never a huge squash fan until I grew red kuri, aka uchiki kuri, which I now adore. Its very sweet and easy to grow. Resembles a small pumpkin.

To finish ripening your squash, when the cooler weather sets in you can set up a tent-like poly cover over the squash to protect from frost, etc. If you bring the vine with squash close to the crown and set up this cover, it'll ripen just fine.

[Auntiemogs]

If she really wants a butternut type squash, there is an F1 hybrid called butterbush which produces smaller fruit but can be grown in a pot so you could move it in/out of the tunnel/greenhouse depending on the weather. 
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/seeds-plants-gardening/22213/squash-winter-butterbush-f1-seeds?gclid=CImPh-SvgbUCFXDLtAodGDwAjQ

[boldondig]

Grew Hunter from seed - started them off indoors in 3" pots and planted out 27th May when had a couple of proper leaves and no chance of a frost ( fingers crossed ). Dug a hole - put in half a cheap grow bag ( short of home made compost ) - then covered in Black woven mulch mat . I am in Nottinghamshire but had really good results - from 6 plants had about 30 squash - varying size - which I ate through to Christmas. Will do the same this year.

[Nikkithefoot]

I've started growing something called Jumbo Pink Banana, very, very similar to Butternut squash, but without the shape and bigger. Oh and much, much easier to grow to fruiting. Treat it as any other squash for growing...........plenty of muck and protect from slugs and frost.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Grew Hunter from seed - started them off indoors in 3" pots and planted out 27th May when had a couple of proper leaves and no chance of a frost ( fingers crossed ). Dug a hole - put in half a cheap grow bag ( short of home made compost ) - then covered in Black woven mulch mat . I am in Nottinghamshire but had really good results - from 6 plants had about 30 squash - varying size - which I ate through to Christmas. Will do the same this year.

That sounds like a good plan. I'll put them on the sheltered side of my polytunnel in full sun and use up some of my surplus weed membrane

[boldondig]