[madcat]

I have been very / fairly successful with vine type winter squashes, but looking at next year I need to replace some of the courgette plants with winter squash.  We can alway use more winter squash but are overrun with courgettes at the moment.

Any recommendations for winter squash, with a bush type growing habit?

[AnneB]

To be honest, any squash I have ever grown has rampaged all over the place and I don't think I have ever seen a bush type.  Butternuts tend to be a bit less extrovert, but I find them harder to grow as they take longer to ripen in my experience.

I have had some success trying to keep a vine squash under control by winding it round and trimming off some of the runners.   I have done this with Burgess vine buttercup squash from Real Seeds.

This year I had some success trying to confine one squash by growing it in a large square of deep soil kept in place by pallets and perspex and cutting off runners that tried to escape.   This was Flat White Boer squash and I have three good sized fruits ripening.

[Mr Dog]

I grew Harrier (butternut) last year which was a bush (got quite a few ripe fruits too) and this year I've got that and Golden Nugget which is also growing as a bush.

[mumofstig]

Table King is a bush type Acorn squash, and Celebration is a smallish sweet squash, and bushy as well.

[Glosterboy]

Have a look at both Golden Nugget and Table Ace. Both are bush type. I've grown both with excellent results. Perhaps Golden Nugget having the better flavour at the table.

[madcat]

Since I get my seeds through the allotment association (I would have to sneak to the plot in the small hours if I didnt!   ) and that means Kings ....  no table ace or king, but they do have Gold nugget.  Decision made.

I know it sounds mad, but we have to get our order in by mid October.  And if I dont think it through now, when I can remember all the lessons learnt, I just make the same mistakes over.

[mumofstig]

Since I get my seeds through the allotment association (I would have to sneak to the plot in the small hours if I didnt!   )

Do you really mean that you wouldn't grow crops that the allotment assoc. don't sell? 

[Comfreypatch]

Festival are a good variety to grow. We have a kings seeds catalogue at the allotment but I rarely use it as they don't always have the varieties I like to grow. I would be very surprised if everyone only grew kings seeds.

[madcat]

Not really - but it is a small association and most of its income is commission on the seed sales, so all members try to put in an order. I don't want much year on year, and I wont buy seed potatoes or shallots or onion sets through them as I think they suffer from the posting process and would rather buy them from the local nursery.  So what seeds I do want I try to buy through them and they usually have something to fit the bill. 

Part of village life, you put some in and you get some out ....   The guy who organizes it is very good at looking disappointed at you, like your headmaster in days of yore.     (and it stops me being tempted by other seed racks elsewhere     )