[Apostrophes]

I sowed my first early potatoes in the last week of March. I intend to start all my squashes in pots at home toward the end of June and when they are ready transplant them to where the earlies were but which by then will have been harvested (end of June).

What do you all reckon? Are my timings sound?

Richard

[prakash_mib]

you have to check.. cold(er) snaps will put the early spuds wee bit late and you might find it a bit of gamble.
people have (including me) succeeded in introducing dwarf french after earlies 

[SUTTY1]

I usually follow 1st pots with leeks. Round here squash need to be in sooner than spuds come out.

[Apostrophes]

I see. The whole thing is making me very nervous. If it doesn't work I won't have anywhere to put my squashes. I usually follow potatoes with leeks too. I'll think about it.

[New shoot]

You could lift a few spuds early to have as really baby new potatoes and create stations into which you could put your squash.  Then you could dig the rest of the spuds as the squash need more room.

Just a thought 

[Yorkie]

Not sure if I misunderstood you-do you mean to wait until end June to sow your squash seed, or just to plant out the plants?

[mumofstig]

When I followed earlies with squash I had them growing in a bottomless bucket which was placed on a tray then filled.
I sowed the seed in the greenhouse late April and transplanted them when it was warm enough and they were big enough into the buckets outside.

When the beds were finally cleared of spuds i dug a shallow depression, worked in a bit of fertiliser and then slid the big pot off the tray and into the depression.
The top of the bucket stayed in place and it was easy to water into the depression, which encouraged the roots to grow down into the ground.
Later when they had set fruit I fed the pots with liquid tomato feed.

It was a bit of a faff but it worked spacewise, when I only had a few beds in the garden

[mattwragg94]

oooh thanks MOS ive never thought of doing that - but i will this year.

[upert]

I followed potatoes with squash last year transplanting my squash in July, I think, I eventually harvested several small squash.

This year I too will try the bottom bucket wheeze, as long as I find such buckets.

[mattwragg94]

upert - check your local morrisons or florists (they usually sell on the buckets that they keep their flowers in)

[Apostrophes]

Some really good advice here. Just to clear up confusion and answer a question: I had intended to start the squashes in pots outside at the beginning of June. I imagine they'll be ready to move in July when I am sure most of the potato bed will have been cleared of  first earlies. I like the idea of clearing 'stations' to make room for them too.

Thank you all.

[AnneB]

When I followed earlies with squash I had them growing in a bottomless bucket which was placed on a tray then filled.
I sowed the seed in the greenhouse late April and transplanted them when it was warm enough and they were big enough into the buckets outside.

When the beds were finally cleared of spuds i dug a shallow depression, worked in a bit of fertiliser and then slid the big pot off the tray and into the depression.
The top of the bucket stayed in place and it was easy to water into the depression, which encouraged the roots to grow down into the ground.
Later when they had set fruit I fed the pots with liquid tomato feed.

It was a bit of a faff but it worked spacewise, when I only had a few beds in the garden

Thank you Mum for a great suggestion.  I was just looking at my plot diagram, and lots of packets of seeds (mm too many) and thinking just where are the squash going to go?  I normally follow potatoes with leeks too, but this year I think I will grow fewer leeks and put the squash where the first earlies are and just have leeks following the second earlies.

[Yorkie]

Some really good advice here. Just to clear up confusion and answer a question: I had intended to start the squashes in pots outside at the beginning of June. I imagine they'll be ready to move in July when I am sure most of the potato bed will have been cleared of  first earlies. I like the idea of clearing 'stations' to make room for them too.

Thank you all.

I think you run the risk of not getting a decent harvest from them.  The dilemma with squashes is that most need a relatively long growing season in order to ripen properly.  My fear if you don't even sow them until June, is that they won't have long enough.

[lucywil]

Just looking at my notes from last year I planted mine out on the 14th of may, they were sown on the 19th of April, I had a really good crop, in fact just about to go and chop the last one up for tea today! So I agree with the others, June's too late

[Apostrophes]

You know this means I am going to have to tear up my colour coded diagram and draw another! I can put the squashes in another bed . . . and the tomatoes can go in big pots . . . my carrots, parsnips and beetroot are already in the ground . . .

. . . hang on.