Squash

[Chicken6]

I'm hoping to grow lots of winter squash this year. Two types which are both vine types rather than bush.

I was thinking one of each in the polytunnel with the rest being outside.

does anyone train them up the sides of the tunnel rather than along the bottom? and my Dad said I could pinch the growing tip out so that only two runners are produced is correct?

I'm planning on growing a few melon plants so don't want to overcrowed the high growing space.

[Odsox]

my Dad said I could pinch the growing tip out so that only two runners are produced is correct?

Umm, in theory yes, but in practice those two runners will produce side shoots which will in turn produce side shoots an so on ad infinitum.
I grow some of my squash in the polytunnel but have not tried training them vertically, I think weight might be a problem especially when the fruit starts to swell, but well worth a try.
Melons should be OK as they are much better behaved.

[Chicken6]

my Dad said I could pinch the growing tip out so that only two runners are produced is correct?

Umm, in theory yes, but in practice those two runners will produce side shoots which will in turn produce side shoots an so on ad infinitum.
I grow some of my squash in the polytunnel but have not tried training them vertically, I think weight might be a problem especially when the fruit starts to swell, but well worth a try.
Melons should be OK as they are much better behaved.

Odsox thanks - again

I guess I will try them on the ground this year. My plan is to grow about 10 squash plants and If that turns out to be too many I can just pull some up, put some at home. I guess what I'm saying is I don't try I won't know for next year. So 2 inside and 8 outside. Squash is such a good crop to store over winter that I really want to harvest a good crop

[theabsinthefairy]

I don't think you need to devote any polytunnel space to them.
I grow mine outside successfully, and only have to harvest them if we suffer from continual frosts.
I grow butternut, pumpkin, turbans, spaghetti, and a couple of other that I don't know the name of, including patty pans. The patty pans and round courgettes I have grown vertically against a wall, with a fixed trellis support, as the plants themselves are quite big, and heavy even without fruit on.

And yes, if you pinch the ends out they stop pushing up or out, but will then just shoot like crazy sideways instead, better to let them get a long leading vine, that you can then train alongside the bed, so for example if you have a bed that would normally run west to east, plant the squash just on the west and east ends of the bed, and let the runners travel north and south, creating a border if you like. I do this with my beds, and for some reason, it may be the spikes, but the chickens then don't walk all over them trying to get onto the rest of the veggies.

Monika

[Odsox]

I don't think you need to devote any polytunnel space to them

That totally depends on where you live Monika.
Maybe you can grow them easily in the south of France, but here my maximum summer temperature is about 22c and very humid.
Sometimes they grow outside OK but you can't guarantee it as sometimes they just rot.
The only way I can be certain of a good crop is to grow them in my polytunnel and as I absolutely love squash I consider it a fair use of space.

Not that I'm complaining as I don't like the heat, but butternuts do

[theabsinthefairy]

That totally depends on where you live Monika.
Maybe you can grow them easily in the south of France,



Oh Odsox - I wish!!!

We live in central France, in a volcanic mountain range, at 715m above sea level. Our winters are regularly in the minus 20c, however, on the plus side we do benefit from a very hot, albeit VERY short summer, so our spring and autumn are very equivalent if not colder than the UK, for example, we are a month behind in our planting and sowing here as we are still -5c at night, and have snow forecast for the weekend!!

[Odsox]

Well yeah OK, but the Massif Central is closer to the south coast than the north
But it is your short hot summers that makes your squash easy to grow. Here we have a temperature range of +5c in winter to about 22c in summer.
There are many things I can grow outside all winter but there are also things I can't grow successfully even in a warmish summer.
Horses for courses.

[Chicken6]

It would be great if I didn't have to grow them inside as well as out but the ones in the PT are my insurance
incase the weather this summer is rubbish. However if the summer is good I would just remove the ones in
PT to allow the space for something else