[Snoop]

At long last, a good year for spring rain, summer sun and a big delivery of sheep muck.

My butternut squash and melon plants are growing really well. I've never worried about snipping off vines so many leaves after a fruit, but this year I have so many budding fruit (not yet pollinated) on each vine that I might have to think about it.

Does anybody have any advice on how many fruit I should leave per trailing vine?

In case this influences your advice, squash forms an important part of our winter food stores, but they don't need to be very big.

Thanks.

[crh75]

Personally I have never stopped squashes.  Having said that IMHO to maximise the yields while not minding small fruit, I would make a decision as to what is the latest date that a flower can be pollinated and have time to ripen.  Then cut off the growing tips of the plants soon after this date.

[Snoop]

Thanks for the advice. They've really gone beserk since I posted. This morning I had two vines each of which had three fruit on adjacent leaves. Sadly, no male flowers.

[Kleftiwallah]

It is far better to have more but smaller fruits as you can use them and leave others and not have a half squash go mouldy.

Cheers,   Tony.

[Beetroot queen]

We have never stopped any of ours either. I dont care whether they are small, medium or large and how many as long as we get a good crop.