[mollymuggles]

Hi all ages since ive been on this site,anyway how hard is it to grow butternut squash or any other squash,started mine off in greenhouse and now they look pretty good but when should i plant them out? should i plant any in pollytunnel or will that be too hot for them? any info please Molly

[mumofstig]

Butternut squash are harder to grow than some others - they like it warmer, so the polytunnel would be ideal - as long as pollinators can get in, or you pollinate them by hand 

If you decide to plant them outside then leave it until you think that frosts have finished, but be ready with fleece or polysheet in case a late frost is forecast 

[lucywil]

I plant mine outside at the allotment and the end of may and have always had good results, except last year! I guess a lot of it depends on where you are in the country

[realfood]

It really depends where you are. If in the North of the UK, butternuts need protection.

[shokkyy]

I wouldn't have thought a tunnel would be too hot, long as you've got the space for them to sprawl in there. Certainly I grew a courgette in my tunnel last year and it did very well in there, head and shoulders better than the poor little things outside doing nothing in the horrible summer. Squash aren't so very different from courgettes.

My squash plants are still going in and out every day, though I have started leaving some of the pots in my tunnel overnight with a bit of fleece to keep them cosy. I will plant them outside when it's warm enough, but this week is forecast to be a bit chilly overnight in this area so I don't want to plant them out just yet. A couple of them already have flowers on them, and one of them is definitely growing a fruit