[Fisherman]

I thinks its been down to the weather. I grew Festival squash, 4 plants outside and 2 under a plastic cloche. The ones outside have squash on them but they are only the size of a golf ball / tennis ball and are too small to do anything with. The ones under the cloche have each got 4 decent sized squash on them about a couple of pound in weight each. I grew this variety because the fruit are an ideal size for 2 people.

[paintedlady]

I grew 3 different varieties from fresh seed (Metro F1 PMR butternut, Kings seed butternut squash & Waltham butternut), all 15 seeds germinated and grew into healthy plants.  Some were planted out at the allotment (in very fertile soil with lots of manure dug in), some in big pots and grown on the patio (very sheltered south facing - should have been perfect ideal conditions) and ... nothing    I've had loads of flowers on all of them too.  My other squashes on the other hand did very well while cucumbers, courgettes & marrows have been the best year yet, so it's a bit of a mystery. 

[Ropster]

5 Plants, 5 squashes, not huge ones though,

[whistler]

Hi all,

I grew five Chieftan  BNS (because I couldn't get Hunter seeds).  I got them from Tuckers in Ashburton,  we mangaed thirteen squashes ranging from about 600g. to 3kg., we haven't tried eating any yet, just waiting for their skins to harden and lose all the green  This is my first year growing them and we planted them on the contents of one of my dalek compost bins.

I'm sooo looking forward to roasting one!

[MoreWhisky]

I grew 6 varietys of squash this yr , the hunter butternuts are they only ones that look like i might not get any! same story last yr.

Tbh butternut not exactly my favourite squash anyway so i next yr im not gona bother with em. other squash grow so much easier, i find.

[oldwilliam]

Just had my best ever year for Butternuts, 10 Waltham have yielded 35 fruits, the majority over 3kg in weight. (Sorry Paintedlady). The downside is that we could be mighty sick of butternuts before winter is over.....

[paintedlady]

Just had my best ever year for Butternuts, 10 Waltham have yielded 35 fruits, the majority over 3kg in weight. (Sorry Paintedlady). The downside is that we could be mighty sick of butternuts before winter is over.....

   there's always next year ...

this morning I was doing a search of butternut varieties and instead came across this interesting information http://www.tozerseeds.com/butternut-squash/production/- in particular, pollination.  I have lavender growing on the patio and also a bed of Munstead lavender at the plot near where the butternut was planted out - both are bee attracters which apparently is detrimental to butternut pollination (although it doesn't explain why the other cucurbits were more successful)  Next year my new squash bed at the other end of the plot should be ready (I've been piling in the compostables and manure) so fingers crossed 

[mumofstig]

Whilst in the greenhouse this morning I thought I would turn the ripening butternuts.

One of them had started the 'funny brown circles' type of rot. I brought it in and luckily the rot was only skin deep, I'd caught it just in time.

So watch out..check your butternuts often 

[digalotty]

do you know what caused it mos

[PennyS]

I used saved seed, produced 2 monster plants, but they've only just started fruiting ... I think I'll buy some seed next year !!   
I've had fantastic success with Crown Prince so I'm keen to do more squashes.

[mumofstig]

do you know what caused it mos

It was the same as the one in this topic
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=64004.msg732525#msg732525

and I think it was just the cool wet weather, just when they wanted warm and dry 

[rainbow1]

Whilst in the greenhouse this morning I thought I would turn the ripening butternuts.

One of them had started the 'funny brown circles' type of rot. I brought it in and luckily the rot was only skin deep, I'd caught it just in time.

So watch out..check your butternuts often 

Hope it's not that Gummy Stem Blight thingy that I got. From what I read it can develop in storage. :-(

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64004.0;attach=13097;image