[stompy]

Hi all,

Just been on the phone with the council to ask about progress with a plot for me and bad news.
I've been told that it'll be at least March/April time before they do any site inspections and then it'll be another month or two after that until anything comes up, thats if there is a bad plot.
The growing season will be well on t's way by then 

So i was wondering, how big a pot would you need for a butternut squash plant to grow properly?
I will have to grow in containers this year in our small back garden until something comes up.
Better than not growing anything though 

Andy

[arugula]

Hi Stompy,

I would have thought you'd want a decent sized pot, say 12 inches or bigger even. Fingers crossed for your getting a plot as soon as possible, but as you say better to grow some stuff in containers at home, than nothing at all.

[stompy]

Thats what i thought,
It's really hard though as this is the first year without a plot in 7 years so im not actually looking forward to the growing season like i used to.
I am #1 on the waiting list but if noone gives up for a few years then it could be a long wait.

I can keep my old plot if i want to bt it's 8 miles away and i would have to go straight from work so the kids wouldn't get to go and then there's the watering every other day through the summer, and no doubt i would get it all going and a plot would come up so im stuck.

Thats why im giving it up growing in pots and then i can transfere whatever i've got to the plot or just grow it on at home.

[mumofstig]

I have grown one in one of those big terracotta coloured plastic tub thingies (like people grow flowers in on the patio)

Make sure you try a bushy one rather than a big trailing one, though

Lots of feeding and watering and I got 2 fruits.......so don't know if it's worth it?

[stompy]

Ha Ha, no i don't think 2 bl@#%y fruits is worth it, not when there's more productive things to grow in the same space mum.

I'll just have to hope for a miracle. 

[Yorkie]

I rarely get more than 2 fruits on my allotment squashes 

[mumofstig]

Oh poor Yorkie 

[stompy]

I used to get between  4 and 6.
The more on the plant the smaller though. (but not much smaller) 
I found hand polinating was the best too.

[Yorkie]

And that's just the ones which ripened!!!

I should probably give them a little more TLC ... in fact, any TLC would be an improvement 

[stompy]

I love butternut squash so i take great pride and care of the plants from seed to fruit.
I got much better yields from hand polinating and then i removed the leaves from around the fruit  and and stopped the shoot 3 leaves past the fruit too.
I limit the plant to 2 main stems and then let the side shoots produce the fruit.

This is exactly the same way i grow my mellons in the greenhouse but i grow them up supports up the roof once again hand polinating.

[operabunny]

I grew squashes last year in flower buckets from the local flower shop (10 for £1 ) with a few holes punched in the bottom. Used multipurpose compost with added chicken fertiliser. They needed a lot of water but grew a treat.