[Zippy]

Hi. I have been starting my squashes: Corgette, BNut Squash and medium sized Pumpkins in pots, potting on to 2 litre pots.

These go in after the first early potatoes around mid to late June.

Question is, am I leaving this a bit late and should I be trying to get them into open ground earlier to allow maximum growing and ripening? 

They are not busting out of their 2 litre pots yet and the compost is good peatfree compost; no leaf yellowing, buit am I holding back development by keeping them in pots so long? They are in an open cold frame at the moment.

[doubledug]

mine were doing great while potted in the greenhouse, planted them out about a week ago and growth has slowed while they have started to flower. So it seems to me if you can grow them in a sunny sheltered position untill ready to plant out then it could be beneficial. 

[mark.carline]

mine were doing great while potted in the greenhouse, planted them out about a week ago and growth has slowed while they have started to flower. So it seems to me if you can grow them in a sunny sheltered position untill ready to plant out then it could be beneficial. 

ditto - just done the same and planted ours out last week

[Zippy]

Thanks for replies. I was watching my squashes in pots over the weekend and wondering if I was missing out on some growth spurt time being stuck in pots still.

My plan is to use some ground which I hope will be freed up soon in the first earlies potato bed - still manure rich and mulched.

[Trebor]

If you have full sun and no yellow leaves then you are OK to hold off for a bit, but would still get out as soon as you can.

I have a few left in pots, being the same variety as those on the allotment. Pot plants are small, allotment plants have courgettes on them and are massive. You will find they slow down for a while when first planted out, but they soon pick back up.

[Kristen]

I think they get a huge knock back when planted out at the beginning of June, or earlier, and 2L pot size is generous, so I think planting out later will be fine.

I would have them outside, to harden them off, when weather is suitable

[sclarke624]

I'm glad you posted that as I have mine in smaller pots outside waiting to be planted up, and was wondring if I was doing the right thing.  No where to plant them at the mo'.