[Kirpi]

I have one Butternut Squash vine which has fruits and is looking good for a late harvest. Another vine has had flowers but does not appear to be setting fruit any time soon; just the beginnings of some small fruits.

What do folks think? Any chance of a late harvest on this one? I'll be giving this one a good bucket of nettle and comfrey tea to see if I can boost it on a bit.

[mumofstig]

IMO it's a bit too late for the smallies

[Kirpi]

I think you are right but I am allowing optimism to overrule common sense on this one - what else would I do with my nettle tea at this time of year!

[LilacSandy]

I think it will be more to do with warmth than food, but if you can give it protection then the tea cannot hurt,  you can always add the baby fruit to soup.

[Kirpi]

I think that's the problem LilacSandy - there hasn't been a lot of sun warmth this year and an excess of rain has kept the ground temperatures down also. A year I should have grown these under a cloche I think.

[LilacSandy]

Mine are the same, some are doing very well and others a waste of space.  The ones that are doing the best are at the top of my plot in full sun,  last year in the dry sunshine all my squash performed well.  Unfortunately we only have hind site as far as the UK weather is concerned.

[Kirpi]

I plan to have a couple of timber framed cloches for next year. Typically, the pumpkins we grew are getting enormous but we would rather have had some nice sweet butternuts!

[balfie]

Reading this, I think I put my plants in the ground too late.
They are growing really well, but only just flowering.

I have two other plants planted a lot earlier (they were given to me, I thought they were courgette plants at first).  At least they have some squashes on them, even tho they are a little small as yet.

[allotmentann]

Reading this, I think I put my plants in the ground too late.
They are growing really well, but only just flowering.

I have two other plants planted a lot earlier (they were given to me, I thought they were courgette plants at first).  At least they have some squashes on them, even tho they are a little small as yet.

I think (may be wrong) that butternut squash take longer to ripen than most and that is one of the reasons it is often recommended to grow varieties especially bred for the UK climate. Mine are just starting to change colour, they were started off indoors and then planted out as soon as the frosts stopped.

[JayG]

Although I bought both Uchiki Kuri and Hunter butternut squash seeds I only really had room to grow one of them, and by May I had this kind of premonition that this summer might be a bit of a challenge for butternuts. 

I was right, but no room for smugness as the UK has struggled a bit too (still is!)

[mumofstig]

Down here in the supposedly warmer Souf I think my U Kuri has 2 fruits on - a truly bad year.

I think Thelma Sanders and Harrier BNS have done a little better - very strange  :blink:

I'll do a better count when the foliage starts to die back a bit - cos it's still triffid-like in there 

[DD.]

Golden Nugget have been my league leaders. BNS are struggling to produce fruit and slugs have had the young fruit of the others.

Even my Atlantic Giant pumpkin has stalled at about 12" diameter.

[balfie]

Reading this, I think I put my plants in the ground too late.
They are growing really well, but only just flowering.

I have two other plants planted a lot earlier (they were given to me, I thought they were courgette plants at first).  At least they have some squashes on them, even tho they are a little small as yet.

I think (may be wrong) that butternut squash take longer to ripen than most and that is one of the reasons it is often recommended to grow varieties especially bred for the UK climate. Mine are just starting to change colour, they were started off indoors and then planted out as soon as the frosts stopped.

Ah thanks for letting me know.  We didnt get our allotment until April so it was a bit of a last minute rush to get things growing.

Next year I will get the plants going early early indoors to give them a head start.   

Wow this is a steep learning curve lol

[Kirpi]

Plenty of Uchiki Kuri - first to appear before Jack o Lantern pumpkins and BNS - I hope we like 'em.

[shokkyy]

Plenty of Uchiki Kuri - first to appear before Jack o Lantern pumpkins and BNS - I hope we like 'em.

I do. They're my favourite squash, because they taste good, store well and always give me a crop even when none of my other squash varieties do.