[shokkyy]

I'm doing some squash this year, for the first time. Can anyone tell me if they're more tender than courgette, less tender or about the same?

[Growster...]

I'm with you here Shokky, we're doing the same, and treating them pretty much the same, and we're putting them close to each other.

Squash are a much harder veg of course, and they'll need more water than average, just like courgettes.

Compare notes in the autumn?

[wozza]

If in tender you mean frost hardy then I dont think they like it

I have 3 courg and  about 8 golden houdian squash plants this year I hope !

[JayG]

If in tender you mean frost hardy then I dont think they like it

I have 3 courg and  about 8 golden houdian squash plants this year I hope !

Neither like cold conditions, but they absolutely hate frost (as in "die"!) 

[Robster]

I treat them about the same.  pot sown, potted on, planted out into a sunny site with plenty of compost.  Protection if going out a bit early, its the cold they don't like. 

I am growing acorn, spaghetti and Golden Hubbard and butternut on the autumn/winter squash front and courgette, patty pan and crookneck on the summer front.

I hope and anticipate a massive harvest and I expect to give away a fair bit of this gorgeous vegetable family

[mumofstig]

I would say that squash/pumpkin are a bit more tender than courgettes.
The early courgettes in the cold greenhouse are growing ok, but the squashes a friend gave me turned up their toes on the first chilly night we had last week

[Kristen]

I would say that squash/pumpkin are a bit more tender than courgettes.

I agree. But as has been said they both hate the cold. Best to prevent them getting cold ... I delay sowing mine so they are planted out several weeks after the last frost date - that avoids a late-frost one the one hand, but also means there is less chance of chilly nights too.

if you have the choice my recommendation would be to pot-on into a larger pot (9" say) and keep in a greenhouse for two or three weeks extra, rather than being tempted to plant out "early"

[shokkyy]

Thank you.

[Novice but totally hooked]

I've grown butternut squash and courgette in the same raised bed for the past two years and had amazing results.

My advice would be thin out the squash so that not every fruit grows - I didn't do that in the first year but last year I did and I ended up with fewer, but better sized squash.  Make sure the squash fruit aren't allowed to rot on the ground  where they're touching the soil and if any start to, remove them. 

Allow more space between each squash plant and finally, don't expect as many squash per plant as you'll get courgettes.

Oh, and beware squash plants are even more rampant that courgettes!

[Christine]

Yep, they are all scared of cool, frightened of cold, given to death at the word frost and they all seem to love tomato feed at regular intervals.