[Debz]

I would like to grow squash and pumpkins in my sisters raised beds.  The last few years, I have grown a lot of brassicas with mixed success and as I love squash and pumpkin and they store really well, I thought I would have a good go at them.  Can you offer me tips on how to best cultivate them given we are a bit cooler up here and what varieties would you recommend?  I love to use them in soups and with mixed roast veg.  Thanks in anticipation.

[Auntiemogs]

It was my first year with them last year and I have raised beds too.  I grew Golden Nugget, which I planted through weed control fabric after digging in plenty of manure.  They are a bush type, so don't take up too much space and I just gave them a good sprinkling of slug pellets and watered them via soft drinks bottles planted next to them.

Still have some left and they are just big enough for two of us. :-)

[devonbarmygardener]

I had 2 great years out of 6 with 20+ squashes, with 2 years being poorer - 5 and 8 squashes and 2 less than 5 squashes.
Since then I've had really poor crops - the last 2 years I got none - but we had really wet late summers.

I was reading back through the old journal and my best crops were from 'Cobnut' which I think I remember was an early vigorous summer squash and 'Harrier F1' whixh I think was a winter squash so they took longer to mature but were able to last into the autumn before picking.

Hope thats some help.
As for the weather - can't help with that!

[mumofstig]

My favourites are Thelma Sanders and Uchiki Kuri. Harrier a small butternut type also cropped well for me last year -
but whether any of them would do well outside where you are tbh I don't know 

[JayG]

It seems to me that even the early-maturing butternut varieties need everything going for them because they take just that bit longer to mature, and who is that confident about having a great summer these days?   

I'd suggest Winter Festival and/or Uchiki Kuri where you are, maybe using a cloche for a while after planting out to try to gain a bit of productive growing time (unfortunately Winter Festival refers to when the stored squashes might be eaten rather than a fondness for growing in cold conditions!)

[Bing]

I grew Japanese squash last two years, they are flaky and very tasty indeed. Green squash with orange flesh inside. the skin is edible.

[shokkyy]

Uchiki Kuri would always be my first choice. Even last year when my other squash limped along looking sad, I still got a decent crop from the UKs. They just seem tougher and a bit faster to grow than the rest, and the fruit are a good size for two people. I also like them because I can grow them vertically up an old tree trunk with very little in the way of support, they seem to like it and it saves me a lot of space.

[angelavdavis]

I recommend winter festival - nice sized, attractive squashes that seem very easy to grow.  I have always had success with them and they are more nutty in flavour and less sweet than butternut squash.  I am trying Uchiki Kuri this year.

[Squibbs]

I have had good success with butternut hunter.

I tried spaghetti squash last year - a good crop - but it wasn't as popular taste wise

[mumofstig]

last years harvest, some did better than others in the cold, wet summer!



14 Thelma Sanders from 2 plants (cream acorn squash left and right), not the tastiest but my most reliable cropper.
2 Celebration from 1 plant (front),
2 Festival from 1 plant (1 at front and 1 on right),
2 small orange Uchiki Kuri 1 plant
7 small Harrier butternuts from 1 plant (on right)
1  Crown Prince 1 plant (blue one in middle)
1 Hubbard, I think, as it lost its label - this one was tasteless 
4 Tromba d'Albegna from 1 plant. This is a good climbing squash and more of these were eaten small as courgettes

[Debz]

Thank you all for your suggestions.  What a beautiful collection MoS.  I will have a look through the seed catalogues and see which ones I can get from your lists.  Nothing ventured and all that.

[devonbarmygardener]

I have had good success with butternut hunter.

I tried spaghetti squash last year - a good crop - but it wasn't as popular taste wise

I bought 'Hunter' seeds in 2009 - that was the year I bought a lot of seeds from Unwins and nothing came up!

Mum - like your Tromba d'Albegna - I tried these in 2009 and they grew but didn't last. Ended up buying 'Ponca' plants - not the best crop I ever grew.

[boldondig]

It may not be that adventurous - but I grew Hunter with good success - they were not huge but they were tasty and I got 20 +(if my memory serves me right) from 6 plants - -spaced one meter apart.  The weather was not  brilliant last year and I live in the Midlands - they are supposed to be suited to growing in the "colder " North - and to be fair they did what they said on the packet - so I would recommend them.

[rowan57]

Cant abide summer squash, but for winter would highly recommend Burgess Vine Buttercup for Winter Squash, fantastic dry eating quality.

[Yorkie]

I've never had any luck with butternuts.

I don't have a greenhouse so am limited as to how early I can sow them and keep them indoors on a windowsill without them getting too leggy.

Add into that the fact they need a longish growing season, and they haven't ripened before the frosts.