[shokkyy]

I'm doing Rolet Gem, Uchiki Kuri and Crown Prince, none of which I've grown before. All are doing well, but the Uchiki Kuri in particular have gone completely berserk. Not only are they growing what seems to be several inches a day (and I've definitely planted too many for the space), but they've put off quite a lot of fruit too. Should I be stopping them so the fruit has a better chance to ripen, or should I just let them keep going?

[Paul Plots]

If my squash were growing well I'd let them get on with it certainly until towards the end of the season.

If they clamber in the wrong direction just point them back into where you want them. Over paths and other crops could mean a chop here and there might be useful...perhaps.

Towards the end of the season I'd remove wayward, straggling growth that didn't look like it was going to come to anything and to give the bigger fruit a chance to reach maturity rather than have the plant waste energy on fruit that was too small.

I'm sure someone else will come along with more experienced advice...
                                                            I was thinking mainly of my butternut squash. 

[lucywil]

same here learner, i just let them get on with it and have always had a good crop

[JayG]

I find that any winter squash setting later than about mid August are unlikely to develop and mature fully before the frosts, although you can usually ripen them off the plant if they have grown to a reasonable size.

I also think there is a maximum number of squashes you can expect each plant to produce; up here it's probably around 3 or 4 unless they were off to a a flying start and get really good summer growing conditions (Ha Ha!  )

[mumofstig]

To be honest I think I'll be lucky to get any that ripen this year 

They had a slow start because of the cold nights earlier in the year, and had just started to grow strongly. Now there's not much sun about for them and the bees to do their thing 

[Paul Plots]

To be honest I think I'll be lucky to get any that ripen this year 

They had a slow start because of the cold nights earlier in the year, and had just started to grow strongly. Now there's not much sun about for them and the bees to do their thing 

I wonder if this wonderful summer and squash-delay has anything to do with Grimsvotn?

[viettaclark]

August!!! My squash have been at a stand-still for weeks and are only now starting to put on a growth spurt!! They've only got a few leaves....same for pattypan although cougettes and marrows have (finally) started flowering.
Think I might give the squash a miss next year and grow more spuds. My greengrocer sells organic butternuts for 30p in the Autumn!!!

[JayG]

To be honest I think I'll be lucky to get any that ripen this year 

They had a slow start because of the cold nights earlier in the year, and had just started to grow strongly. Now there's not much sun about for them and the bees to do their thing 

Well I'll be lucky to get any that even set, never mind ripen, at the present rate of progress, especially the plant which got almost entirely munched by slugs but is now trying to re-grow inside its blue ring of death (bless it!)   

[1st time veg grower]

Yeah, I'm not holdng out much hope for squash or pumpins this year.

They only really started going for it last week (that was after three sweet dumpling plants got munched by sluggles), then they've only started flowering (inc females) now the wet weather has arrived. Past years this has meant even if they have been pollinated (by hand) they will rot off, and if they havent been then they wont be as the water seems to collect in the male flowers!

I had a teeny tiny courgette in my stirfry last night, but my summer ball squash again seem to have problems setting the fruit, even if I'm assisting proceedings.

Very sad, as of all the things there are to grow - despite their difficulties - pumpkins and squash are my favourites!

[Paul Plots]

It's another "one of those years" with a bit of a difference.

I am, in some ways, relieved that it's not just me although I wouldn't want others to have the same poor results just to make me feel better.

It's been a difficult year so far for many things. Let's hope a very decent August comes along to make it all worthwhile.

Big Butternut & Winter Squash.... come along!  :blink:  

Well done those people who have problems with rampant plants.... It's better that way though 

[Quetzal]

i'm no expert, but i would leave all the vine growth. I might think about limiting the number of fruits, however.

My squash plants are a little small so far this year, although they are setting squash already, so fingers crossed for a hot patch.

[shokkyy]

This year is really very odd, isn't it. My squash are growing like triffids and fruiting like there's no tomorrow, yet my courgettes, in past years always the most reliable of crops, are refusing to give me a single viable fruit between 6 plants. I had weeks of male only flowers followed by weeks of small fruit that rot and drop off.

I'm getting fruit from my hanging basket cherry tomatoes, plus some green ones forming on the pot grown tomatoes on my warm patio, but the 15 tomato plants in my veggie bed have so far refused to set a single fruit between them. My chillis and sweet peppers, which gave me an enormous crop last year, are tiny stunted plants with a few flowers and even a few small fruit, but  no way am I going to get any kind of decent crop from them this year. The peas are doing okay, but the runner and French beans are extremely slow, the calabrese and white cabbage look like they're about to bolt and the cauliflowers are refusing to grow at all.

It's just completely bizarre.