[shaun]

dont matter what it looks like aslong as it is solid and wont move in the wind cus it will be covered in green leaves and fruit in a few months time  

[Annie]

My butternut(new  and old seeds)are refusing to germinate this year so I am despondant as this is the first year I haven`t grown them.As regards keeping quality I still have 1 winter festival squash from last year that is still sound and we ate the last butternut last month so if you have room to grow plenty they keep for ages and also if cubed and frozen do not deteriorate and are great roast,or for sauce or soup.

[tomato-joy]

this is very helpful - I've planted my squash a bit too close together I think - planted 4, one in each corner of a 2.5 metre square, so am going to have to train them to reach for the sky, I think.

[little sweetpeas]

this is very helpful - I've planted my squash a bit too close together I think - planted 4, one in each corner of a 2.5 metre square, so am going to have to train them to reach for the sky, I think.

Don't know if anyone else can offer additional advice on this -

A chap a few plots down is growing them for the third year, his advice is to grow them near cabbages as they can ramble off around the cabbeges and thus making more use of the space. He also pinches them out so the fruits get bigger.

[WG.]

grow them near cabbages as they can ramble off around the cabbeges and thus making more use of the space.

My take on that is that he must be planting his cabbages too far apart  

I find cabbages to be one of the most useful weed suppressors in the garden.

[Jeanieblue]

Would the Three Sisters growing plan work - not sure if I came across it on this site earlier in the week. Anyway, the plan is to grow sweetcorn, plant peas which will use the sweetcorn as support, and grow cucumbers or courgettes which can trail on the ground to their hearts content. Sure butternut or any other squash would work too. Only thing is, if they've been trained to climb like Shaun's, they'll be competing with the peas/!  We're getting our own allotment soon, and I certainly intend to this this a go.