[missmoneypenny]

My butternuts always produce just one or two fruit. However the stalks reach out far beyond the fruit and seem to want to take over the whole plot. Is it ok to cut above the fruit and generally tidy the plant up? Thanks for any advice.

[Kleftiwallah]

Good evening  missmoneypenny, 
the squash plant uses the sunlight on its leaves to convert to sugars held in the fruit.  By 'trimming' your squash you may be cutting the growth of the fruit(s).  If you have enough fruits on the plant then trim it back a 'smidge' but no hacking about.

Cheers,  Tony.

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks kleftiwallah. I take your point re not removing too much, but I would say it’s not at all lacking in leaves, quite the contrary!

[snowdrops]

Hi MMP, on Beechgrove last night he was just doing the same thing on his pumpkin patch, you might want to take a look.

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks snowdrops, do you mean Gardeners World?

[snowdrops]

No Beachgrove, it’s the Scottish one on last night. It’s on the iplayer

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks snowdrops I’ll have a look.

[CHRISDONOHUE]

Your butternut squash may yet produce more fruits as it is fairly early in the season for squash.   It depends entirely on the weather how long the plants will continue to flourish.  Although the soil is very damp currently, water heavily in dry weather for maximum production.   I do not think it will greatly harm the plants to stop growth beyond what you think is the largest crop you can imagine producing in a very long Indian summer providing the lower leaves are still healthy and via photosynthesis are able to create energy to sustain current and future fruit production.

[Nobbie]

I harvested mine today as the plants were looking pretty worn out and the squashes all looked ripe enough. I’ll stick them on a windowsill to finish them off. Really feeling like the end of the season now. Courgettes have stopped producing, although may get another burst if the weather warms up.

[jambop]

Your butternut squash may yet produce more fruits as it is fairly early in the season for squash.   It depends entirely on the weather how long the plants will continue to flourish.  Although the soil is very damp currently, water heavily in dry weather for maximum production.   I do not think it will greatly harm the plants to stop growth beyond what you think is the largest crop you can imagine producing in a very long Indian summer providing the lower leaves are still healthy and via photosynthesis are able to create energy to sustain current and future fruit production.

Yes sir they can and do... well mine have We have has a really dry hot summer and even though I have been watering my plants they must have been sitting there sulking in the heat. Well we had a bit of a change in the weather a few weeks back with a thunderstorm and some well needed heavy rain and hey presto four more butternuts appear together with a couple of potimarron. Those butternuts are now bigger than any of those that were there before and there is loads of time for them to ripen up ... now turns out to be a good harvest on the cards for the butternuts rather than a so so. The potimarrons have done really well and the seed was from one the wife bought at the shop... might save a few from these ones.

[missmoneypenny]

Ok I have stopped them. @Snowdrops, I watched Beachgrove, it’s a charming program, I don’t know how I missed it. And the allotment guy on there does it so it’s good enough for me. Thanks for the tip re watering throughly in a drier spell @ChrisDonghue, which we seem to be having now . Can’t wait to get down there and snap the hose into action.