Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: crowman24 on May 01, 2010, 08:04

Title: butternut squash
Post by: crowman24 on May 01, 2010, 08:04
do i need to grow butternut squash on a trellis or can i just grow it like courget this is my first time at them and got seed from squash not packet thankyou
Title: Re: buternut squash
Post by: Kristen on May 01, 2010, 09:22
I think the fruits will be heavy hanging from a trellis, I just let mine sprawl on the ground.
Title: Re: buternut squash
Post by: Tattyanne456 on May 02, 2010, 11:57
I just let mine sprawl too, I put a small ceramic tile or old saucers under the developing fruits to raise them slightly off the ground.
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: 8doubles on May 02, 2010, 13:29
One of mine did climb the fence and a good size squash hung 2ft from the ground with no support , the stalks are quiet sturdy.
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: crowman24 on May 02, 2010, 14:13
thanks everyone will let them stay down
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: Paul Plots on May 02, 2010, 15:22
One of mine did climb the fence and a good size squash hung 2ft from the ground with no support , the stalks are quiet sturdy.

Butternut squash plants appear to come in two main forms = trailing and bush varieties.

Bush are compact plants that do not attempt to escape too far and grow contentedly at ground level.  ;)

Trailing, as it suggests, trail all over the flipping place... makes finding the fruit more interesting as well as restricting the plant to the place you intended it to be in. Given half a chance and a bit of encouragement, it will clamber (more than climb) over things. The fruit stems are pretty tough so can usually support the weight of the fruit without help.

I've encouraged mine (with a couple of initial bits of string to tie it in) to join the runner beans in the past and they have happily dangled from quite some height.  ;)  :)
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: Loubs on May 02, 2010, 19:13
So sitting down & relaxing at your plot anywhere near the beans is a bit like relaxing on a tropical beach under a palm tree - all very idyllic but something very large & very heavy could take you out at any moment  :lol:
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: Paul Plots on May 03, 2010, 00:04
So sitting down & relaxing at your plot anywhere near the beans is a bit like relaxing on a tropical beach under a palm tree - all very idyllic but something very large & very heavy could take you out at any moment  :lol:

A cocoa nut?  :wacko:
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: 8doubles on May 03, 2010, 08:47
So sitting down & relaxing at your plot anywhere near the beans is a bit like relaxing on a tropical beach under a palm tree - all very idyllic but something very large & very heavy could take you out at any moment  :lol:

A cocoa nut?  :wacko:

Squashed !  :)
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: fish on May 03, 2010, 08:57
i have had success using woven weed sopressant,i born a small hole forthe young plant then the fruits lay on it instead of the mud thus reducing slug/worm attacks.
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: viettaclark on May 03, 2010, 19:06
I do mine in big pots up on a makeshift surface and let them sprawl over a big patio table. I support the ripening fruit on little cushions of chicken wire to prevent them getting too wet.
Title: Re: butternut squash
Post by: sunshineband on May 03, 2010, 19:29
i have had success using woven weed sopressant,i born a small hole forthe young plant then the fruits lay on it instead of the mud thus reducing slug/worm attacks.

That's what I am going for this year, interplanted with sweetcorn  :D :D :D

Did you put any extra compost or anything in when you planted the squash plants, fish?