Squash. We have leaves, what now?

[hedgewizard]

Sounds like a squash riot you have there! Can I ask why so many? Different uses, or do you just like growing them? And if you save seed how do you stop them crosspollinating?

[Millymollymandy]

My butternuts haven't germinated yet. I planted them in pots about 8 days ago. That's cos the ones that I planted direct in the ground didn't germinate. Actually I tell a lie because one has just popped up after about 3 weeks!!!! I'm running out of seed now.

[the.fee.fairy]

I've got 12 butternut squash plants growing now...and they were seeds that i took out of a shop bought squash *whispers* tescos. I'm going to wait until they're a decent size to plant them out in the garden (and i need to find space!!).

I've also got 3 melon plants growing (from a melon from the aforementioned shop) and a marrow plant, and a courgette plant (they were bought as plants from a local organic grower) I've put either the marrow or the courgette one outside today, it and its friend are planted in washing up bowls (methinks i planted too much this year...) and i don['t know which one is which, but they both got to near drowning point in the greehnouse - they were under the cabbages that i was watering (don't know where they're going to go either - the veg patch is full!).

If anyone wants some melon seeds or butternut squash seeds, let me know, i've got some left over.

I can't make any promises that they'll grow, but i'll send them to you.

[Millymollymandy]

I've now got 3 butternuts coming up - two in the ground and a miserable one out of the 6 I planted in pots. Oh well I did very well last year from 3 butternut plants so I guess that'll do.

I did sow some melons recently in pots and all came up. I've never grown them before so it will be great if I get some fruit. They cost a bomb in the shops!

[hedgewizard]

I'm growing melons for the first time this year, but apparently they're pretty space hungry. I've got mine 3 feet apart and I'm going to grow them up tall canes with wire side supports as soon as they seem interested. Top-dressed them with some fb&b meal tonight while I was putting the caulis in round their feet...

[Olive]

My chickens Ate the 2nd round of butternuts - after they devoured the 1st lot... so i quickly got them in the airing cupboard and a few days later they were ready to pot up.... planted 2 yesterday and the rest are still int eh green house getting bigger.

[ina]

When I first read this I thought you'd put your chickens in the airing cupboard... And then - potted chickens?

Sorry, just me being stupid. That summer I spent in France long ago I gave up trying to grow pumpkins, because the blasted chickens destroyed all my attempts. I'd covered them with chicken wire, too - no luck. You'd probably need a double line of barbed wire fence and a few self shooters along it to keep them out!

[hedgewizard]

I've got some male flowers on my pumpkins now, but my courgette and one squash plant are showing just a touch of powdery mildew. Just watching for now but might need to make up some bordeax mix for that. All looking rather nice!

[chadspad]

Hi all,
I managed to grow several cantaloupe melons and a few watermelons last year from seeds taken from fresh ones. I just planted them out on a heap of earth and the runners & fruit sort of cascaded down the mound, unsupported, to the bottom.
I am hoping my pumpkins (counted 15 growing this morning!!)and the squashes will grow in the same way or will this not work?

[hedgewizard]

Should be fine since they're from the same family! Just give them some muck to work on, and put something under the fruits as they form to keep them off the earth. Old carpet, tiles, straw, whatever. I'm all excited too because I have my first baby pumpkin forming!

[Cheezy]

My first replacement squash got eaten again, Onto third and fourth go.

Number three is absolutley going mental in this weather, I keep watering it and it keeps growing, here's my question:

I've made the old bamboo wigwam (see earlier) supported by wire.

And I've trained the lead tendril in a spiral, so far it's a third of the way up (probably around six foot in distance), but Mr Squash has also decided to put out two further tendrils from the base, and these are going mad as well. There are embrio friuts on all shoots, but space is going to get a problem.

Should I nip out the two side shoots and just let the main one go, so putting in all the energy into one shoot.

If I get time this evening I'll try to take photo's to explain better.

What do you think?.

[the.fee.fairy]

has anyone got any diagrams/instructions for making some bamboo wigwam thingys?

I've got about 5 butternut plants that will want them soon.

I've got a couple of melon plants that need some space. Will it be ok to plant them in the same soil as potatoes/peas? I'm still not sure what's a brassica and whats now, and what sufferes from the same diseases...

Ta

[Chickpea]

You don't need a diagram or instructions for a bamboo wigwam. What you mainly need is to see one and think "Ah, ok I get it now".

Here's one:
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images/pea_cane.jpg

Here's more:
http://www.watfordmuseum.org.uk/docs/victory_july4.jpg

And some more:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/gardens/w ... rbeans.jpg

Got it now?

String is good for holding the canes together at the tops, and I find the beans need a little encouragement to start winding around to pole, so I usually tie them on with string to start them off. The soon get the idea on their own though and no more string is necessary.

[Cheezy]

On a roll now with the photo's

heres my wigwham, made with 8 foot canes and wire , because the weight of the squashes can be great (I hope)
I would have used hazel staffs, but couldn't get any



And heres the squash growing in an ever decreasing spiral upwards



This summer's heat is certainly making them grow, along with my pride an joy my 4 apricots grown in that well know NE apricot area of County Durham!.

[Chickpea]

Wow, apricots in Co. Durham. I don't know whether that's impressive or a scary sign of galloping greenhouse effect.