[webby139]

Hi All,

Looking for a bit of advise to be honest.
I have set up some raised beds at the back of my garden - Sieved the soil and levelled it out.

I have planted around 10 butternut squash in small pots and now transefered into larger pots stored on the window sill. I water when the compost is starting to dry out - but not too much.
They are starting to grow quite fast now and was wondering - well, have i peaked to early. I have poly tunnels ready to cover after i plant em in the gargen - But when shall i put them in !! Or should i just try and put em in, in a copuple of weeks time - and start to grow more on the window sill as back ups???

I have also started my chillis / peppers on window sill - all have started to grow and i'm about to move to larger pots - but again - when should i move into green house ??

I have just planted leek seeds on window sill - is this correct or should i be planting straignt into ground ??

What should i feed em all with as well would be a great help?

Winter onions have been growing since around october or so - i've started feeding with miracle grow - is this OK or can you recommend anything else.

This is my 1st time of growing any veg and i'll be wounded if i fail.

Look forward to any help you can give.

Cheers,
Webby.

[Aidy]

1st 10 butternut squash plants fully grown will fill an acre of land   suggest you rethink that one.
2nd I normally plant my chillies in the greenhouse around mid may.
3rd, yes I start my leeks in a deep polystyrene box on the window sill then move out to the greenhouse when most of the seeds are up.

[JayG]

I've moved your post to "Grow your own" Webby139 as it is more of a "outdoor growing" than a greenhouse/polytunnel topic.

10 butternut squash plants is a lot - hope you've got plenty of space! They are very tender and frost will kill them; they also need warmth and sunshine to grow well so I'd be surprised if you will be able to plant them out before the end of May where you are, and that's allowing for the protection you have in mind for them.

The chillies and peppers are even more heat-loving, so I think you need to keep them in the house for at least another month, and subsequently beware of low overnight temperatures in the greenhouse.

Leeks are fine started indoors, especially as you need to get them going ASAP but can be put into the greenhouse when they have germinated with a view to be planting them outside in June.

BFB, Growmore, or pelleted chicken manure are all good general purpose fertilisers; Miracle Grow is OK too but maybe a bit high in nitrogen for use on everything.

[Muffin58]

I've moved your post to "Grow your own" Webby139 as it is more of a "outdoor growing" than a greenhouse/polytunnel topic.

10 butternut squash plants is a lot - hope you've got plenty of space! They are very tender and frost will kill them; they also need warmth and sunshine to grow well so I'd be surprised if you will be able to plant them out before the end of May where you are, and that's allowing for the protection you have in mind for them.

The chillies and peppers are even more heat-loving, so I think you need to keep them in the house for at least another month, and subsequently beware of low overnight temperatures in the greenhouse.

Leeks are fine started indoors, especially as you need to get them going ASAP but can be put into the greenhouse when they have germinated with a view to be planting them outside in June.

BFB, Growmore, or pelleted chicken manure are all good general purpose fertilisers; Miracle Grow is OK too but maybe a bit high in nitrogen for use on everything.

Thank you to Webby, JayG and Aidy for this thread. It answers several of my questions that I hadn't even been able to put into words yet! If you could see my living room and back bedroom (which isn't a bedroom at all, but has a table covered with plants. My living room's plants have expanded from the table to the area UNDER the table, and in front of it!) My 3 butternut squash plants are growing well, 2 in my polytunnel (sited on a concrete slab patio next to the house--sheltered) in a growing bag--well, they're still alive anyway. With my manky compost, they aren't growing, just maintaining. One's in a peat pot, waiting to be planted in the PT. But what the heck am I going to do with FIVE pumpkin plants? We don't have an allotment! I was planning on having 3 pumpkin plants, but did extra in case one failed, as you do.... I'm glad to know when to put out peppers & chillies. They're ready to go, as are tomatoes, lettuce, a bit of okra, and aubergines. When can I put the aubergines out into the polytunnel? I have cabbage, calabrese, psb, and cauliflower seedlings coming along nicely in the PT, along with collard (an American veg, similar to kale I think, or turnip greens.) I had some brussels sprouts coming on nicely, but they're suddenly dying, but I may have over-watered them. They're in small peat pots. Going to have to start over with sprouts I guess. I planted out some carrots (Early Nantes 5, and Jeanette,) parsnips, and leeks--oops! Too early for the leeks! They're in a bag on the patio, and I have peas & carrots (with a hint of rosemary) in one of our raised beds. Whew! I'm tired!! LOL Anyway, thanks for asking the questions, and for answering them. What a great forum!

[webby139]

Hi again,
Thanks for that info - 1 acre - i better get digging.
I planted 10, but am only gonna use around 4 - 1 meter square i've read - is this correct. Give them 1 meter circumference per plant.

So then, would you recommend i start again with regards to the butternut squash ?? All 10 plants have about 4 leaves on each at present, prob measuring around 50mm. I've hade them in for about 3 weeks. The stems are getting quite long and i guss if i can't put them out until end of may - well they'll be sitting next to me watching TV by then !!!!!!

I guess the chillis / peppers should be OK, as there only about 30mm tall at present. I'll transfer into bigger pots soon though.

With regards to the leeks - just so i've got this right:-
1st stage into small pots on windowsill
2nd stage into large pots once they germinate
3rd stage into green house.
4th stage into allotment plot - But when should i do this / how big should they be,
OR
do they stay inthe green house throughout ??

Thanks again and look forward to more advise
Great site this mind !!!!

[webby139]

By the way,
thanks JayG for getting my post in the correct place 

[bigben]

First the leeks - they like the cold so will not appreciate being indoors for long or even worse in a greenhouse. Get them outside asap - mine tiny leeks have been outside for a couple of weeks now- have a look at this recent post about leeks
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=74000.0

Your butternuts are going to be a problem this early in the year- I grew them last year spacing 1m between them in all directions as well as other squash and pumpkins. The butternuts did ok but not as well as the others. I dont think the spacing was the problem - they just did not take off like the others. Keeping them in the warm will of course make them grow faster and low light will tend to make them leggy so when you finally get them out they might not survive anyway. You might have to resow and if you do manage to keep the current ones alive then choose the healthiest looking ones to plant out.

Your chilli plants should be ok  indoors - many people use aluminum foil supported on a bit of cardboard behind them to reflect the sun and improve light. This keeps them from leaning towards the sun and turning leggy.

Good luck

[Aidy]

In my experience with Bsquash, they dont really grow that much to begin with but as they near the end, start producing fruit, they go mental, when I first grew them I put two plants, them two plants took over half my plot, continued into the parking lot of a civil service estate (where ERNIE from premium bonds fame used to live) it was like a trifid  .
I normally start my squash, cukes etc mid April for transplanting mid may ish.
Leeks, as I mentioned I use polystyerene boxs, we use certain drugs at work that need to be stored in the fridge (see photo) and leave them to grow in this until ready to plant out.

[JayG]

By the way,
thanks JayG for getting my post in the correct place 

You're welcome!

Most winter squashes tend to go on the rampage if conditions are to their liking. Yours could be a "compact" butternut variety in which case it might be OK in a square (or round!) metre - I don't know the answer to that.

I would hedge my bets and keep the best 4 plants, putting them in the greenhouse if necessary even if it's too early, and then start 4 more off as a back-up.

DD's litter tray method of growing leeks is well-known on this site; I don't have room for that many so sow mine thinly in an ex-supermarket plastic meat container which is probably about 6" deep (holes in the bottom, of course!)

Once germinated, they go into the cold greenhouse and then into a cold frame when the greenhouse gets too warm (they'd be OK just left outside if the weather isn't too severe.)  When big enough to plant out I just turf the whole lot out and plant into dibbed holes, mostly singly but 2-3 per hole if I've got too many; still works although the individual leeks will be smaller.

DD's thread is here (and he's been growing them a lot longer than I have!) :
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.msg312300#msg312300

[mumofstig]

Quite a few of the butternuts have now been bred to be compact 'bushy' plants rather than the huge, 'take over the garden' type of plants, so it depends on which variety you have grown as to how big they will get  

but I have to agree that it is much too early to have sown them. I'd cut my losses and start again at the end of April, at the earliest! It will save you a lot of hassle......in some catalogues they show the 'grow to harvest' time in days and butternuts can be as short as 90 days, so yours will be fully grown plants by the time you can plant them out


sort of snap folks 

[Hobnails]

Hi again,
Thanks for that info - 1 acre - i better get digging.
I planted 10, but am only gonna use around 4 - 1 meter square i've read - is this correct. Give them 1 meter circumference per plant.

Quite a lot of us grow butternuts under our sweetcorn. The tendrils weave among the corn and the leaves act  as a mulch to conserve moisture during the heat of summer.

I grow 3 plants among mine a metre apart in the centre of the block with good results.

That should soak up a few more of your excess plants.

[Robster]

On the chillies front.  I have found you need a good long season to get a good crop.  If you can keep them warm enough and keep on potting them on until ok to go in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel I reckon you will be fine.  I am only just starting my squash off now and I may have gone too early,  I would sow some backups if I were you sometime, for Justin.  You can always give them away if surplus.

[TerryB]

Hi Webby139.
Put your Polly Tunnels over the ground now, this will allow the soil to warm up, then plant your squash inside them in 3 weeks.
I'd also start some in mid April just incase.

[JohnB47]

I grew squash last year and kept them compact by gradually training each of them in a spiral using sticks. Each eventually took up a circle around 1 meter diameter.

[webby139]

Hi All,

Just an update really and request for some further advice.
I bet you get a laugh from some of the questions us novice's ask.
So here we go.

Butternut Squash,
I planted 3 into my polytunnel about 1 meter apart. I planted about 2.5 weeks ago now. They still look alive, although they don't seem to be growing that much. How do i know if there OK ??
 I also planted 3 more into large pots which i keep in my green house. These were just in case the other ones died as soon as i put them in the floor.
 I have sinse taken all your good advice and started another 6 into pots last week. So at least i have a back up plan. I have read about making "hills" or something - Can someone explain what this means. Do i need to support the plants with bamboo etc. It's just the leaves are big and it seams like the stem is bearing a lot of weight to be honest. Do i ever remove the polytunnel??

Chillis / Peppers,
I planted in the house in pots then moved to greenhouse in larger pots (10cm). I've got about 4 of each at present. Too many do you think?? as i have no idea how big they will grow. Also, they look at present like very very large water cress. Some have about 8-10 stems, is this correct or do i remove some. Do these need to be supported later on. What size pots should i eventually put them into.

Cucumbers,
I have planted the outdoor type. I have them in 10cm pots at present and they are growing fine. However my next door neighbour put a doubt into my mind on whether they would grow. Any thoughts ?? When sould i plant them into my plot. What distance between each plant etc. What should i feed them with. Do i need to protect them with mesh etc ?

Cabbages,
Planted into small pots at present - they are just starting to grow into young seedlings at present. At what size should i plant them into the plot. Do i need to protect them with mesh etc?

Winter Onions,
My winter onions are reaching quite a size now (the green shoots i mean). I am feeding with miracle grow once a week. Is this OK. I have mesh over them at present but they are reaching the mesh now - can i remove or will the birds go for them ?? Any thing special i should be doing.

I know i ask quite a lot of questions / information from you guys - but its because i need it !!
I'm really keen on this and enjoy it - but i guess i will enjoy it more if i see the results at the end of it all.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Cheers,
Webby.