Squash issues

[sarahmortimer71]

Bit new to all this veg growing and I've tried growing butternut squash for the first time this year.I have one plant outside with two squashes growing. Unfortunately, they seem to have stopped growing at only about 6 inches long and aren't ripening - is it too much rain? Not enough sun? Anything I can do to help?

Do I sound desparate?!

[kevin m.]

Hi Sarah,I'm a 'newby' to Butternut growing,trying it for the first time this year,as it's one of my favourite veg.
I put three plants in a raised bed,and whilst they produced about eight fruitlets,only two of them amounted to anything.
Mind you,I'm very pleased with the result overall,as the two surviving fruits have grown to quite a size and weight!
When did you plant your Butternuts?
I have read that they need a long growing season,and perhaps higher temperatures than we normally get 'up north', to grow and ripen successfully,though we have been pretty lucky with the weather this year,having an 'Indian summer' after a rather disappointing August.
I'll probably try them again next year,but in addition,I'm also ordering 'Uchiki Kuri' squash (which is supposed to be more suited to our climate),and also 'Vegetable Spaghetti',which I grew with some success several years ago.

[Andy Hamilton]

It is a bit late in the year for butternut squash really and being a new world vegetable the next ground frost might just kill them off. They do need a long growing season. Also if the plant trails too much then it puts all of its energy into the plant rather than the fruit. I put one in the back of my garden in a small disused 1 sq foot of earth and all it did was trail, decided that it looked nice growing all over the bike parts and so did not cut it back. - It has grown to about 4m on one trail and 2m on the other.

[digiveg]

Yeah, Butternut need pampering! Start them off as early as you can, warm, under glass (late March, early April); then transplant them REALLY carefully, as none of the squashes can stand root damage. I start mine off in a loo-roll, and then plant the whole thing so they don't even know it's happened. They like lots and lots and lots etc etc of food, so a well-manured bed is needed; and lots of sun; and don't let them dry out; and so forth. Picky, picky, picky.

Then, if you're lucky, you'll get some whopping great squashes!

And, if it's a variety like Waltham, it's open-pollinated. Then if they're the only squash-related plant around, the seeds will breed true - and they'll grow much better the second year, too.

[chadspad]

Im growing various types of squashes in between my sweetcorn this year and they all seem to be doing fine. What do you others use to lay the squashes on - straw, cardboard or something else? I used cardboard last year but had a mound so the cardboard sat at the bottom. Im thinking that if I use cardboard in between the sweetcorn not only will it be hard work making a patchwork quilt but also that the water might not get thru so well. Straw however is very expensive to buy here and I have a huge area to cover.

[Annpan]

I have started some on my kitchen window ledge. I just took the seeds from a shop bought squash. Within 2 days of planting the shoots were about 3 inches tall, I am going to stick them out and just wait to see what happens

[chadspad]

Ive already got fruit on mine - I was dead keen to get them started early!

[Annpan]

*Doh*

Having just moved in April I was late planting everything

I just go around with my fingers permanatly crossed. I keep telling myself I am not daft, its just a learning curve

[red]

mine only went out recently too. and are sitting there sulking at the mo.. but given that we had a late frost (to which i lost 2 rows of beans ) its prolly just as well I was late....

[chadspad]

So, when u do both get squashes what will u put under them?

[ina]

Having just moved in April I was late planting everything

I'd say, for Scotland it's still a bit early to get the squashes out - mine certainly have a few more weeks in the tunnel ahead of them!

[red]

So, when u do both get squashes what will u put under them?

ah... nothing? not grown squash before - but I never put anything under my pumpkins last time...

[Silver Ether]

Well I started mine ages ago in a good base done all teh right things and they are still small plants. They have been struggling for a while ... but this last few sunny days they seem to have picked up ... So fingers crossed ... oh I haven`t grown butternut before but have had some smashing pumpkins.

[the.fee.fairy]

So, when u do both get squashes what will u put under them?

ah... nothing? not grown squash before - but I never put anything under my pumpkins last time...

36D Bras kindly donated by my little sister!

[Annpan]

Bras, big scabby maternity numbers...nice or, failing that, some old tights, maybe.

Cheers ina, mine are still on the window ledge but some are going to have to go out as they are too big for the egg boxes I wisely planted them in (as I said *DOH*)