[sanuka]

I have butternut squash, becky pumpkin and festival squash seeds to sow but no idea how many plants I'll need.

Would 5 of each be a good amount? I'm only feeding 2 of us and a little one.

[gobs]

I'd go for 2 each, max, unless you don't grow much else and an addict.

Otherwise even that is over-doing it a bit, if it's an all right summer that is.

[sanuka]

Thanks gobs, I'll go with 2 each. Do you know how much room each will need? Not the spacing when planted but to sprawl around?

[Ice]

Thanks gobs, I'll go with 2 each. Do you know how much room each will need? Not the spacing when planted but to sprawl around?

Lots. :shock:

[Trillium]

 I think Ice should have said LOTS! The vines will crawl for consider distances in every direction if left to themelves. Don't even think of putting them near the rest of the veg patch as you'll lose the smaller stuff.

[DD.]

It of course depends when you 'stop' the runners, the squashes we grew last year easily covered an area of 16+ sq yards. (I let 'em go 6 feet either way).

You'll have to work out for yourself what that is in 'new money'!

[jennyb]

how many fruit do you usually get off each plant?  i grew them for the first time last year making things up as i went along as usual.

i eventually too the tips out and ended up with 2 decent sized butternuts, a beautiful crown prince/acorn type one and a lovely little orange kombotcha type one (i saved the seeds myself).

but there were lots of little ones that went mushy and dropped off along the way.

but i due to lack of space i trained mine round in a square too.

i have double the amount of plant this year too.....

[puravida]

I'm going to have a go at growing them up a trellis screwed to a fence this year.

Got a handful of butternut seeds saved from a supermarket fruit and also a pack of shop bought seeds germinating side by side as an experiement.

Interestingly - shop bought seeds - 12 seeds for £1.99
Shop bough fruit - 100 seeds for £1.29 plus free fruit!!

[jennyb]

what are you going to use to support the fruit on your trellis?

[puravida]

Not sure yet where to source them, but hopefully some sort of net/mesh bags.

Any other recommendations?

[zucchiniqueen]

I've seen people use the ends of ladies tights (the very sheer ones) - they just use the feet parts. Might work?

[puravida]

that;s a fab idea!!!
thanks!!!

[Sadgit]

I'm going to have a go at growing them up a trellis screwed to a fence this year.

Got a handful of butternut seeds saved from a supermarket fruit and also a pack of shop bought seeds germinating side by side as an experiement.

Interestingly - shop bought seeds - 12 seeds for £1.99
Shop bough fruit - 100 seeds for £1.29 plus free fruit!!

but will they grow as well? as the BN Squash I had at the weekend was from Argentina, so the seed might want a diff climate? *shrugs*

[Alex 98]

I sowed seed from BN from Argentina (felt a bit guilty when I saw that on the label, never mind).
No sign of germination after 8 days, a bit surprising?

How long normally?

Alex 98

[zucchiniqueen]

We grew from a shop-bought organic pumpkin last year - the plants were great as weed cover, had lots of flowers which all fell off & no fruit  
Not sure why, but I have tried a few seeds from shop bought pumpkins and a few from a proper packet of seeds, so I'll see how we go this year (last year was a bit crazy with all the rain - our allotment was waterlogged for a few weeks, so maybe that was why).