Author Topic: Butternut Squash (Read 4591 times)

amanda21 · « **on:** August 30, 2006, 08:14:42 »

My butternut squash plants are taking off around the plot and have flowers but no sign of any fruit as yet. Is this too late - will any fruit I might get now ever ripen? Thanks

Squashfan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2006, 10:16:32 »

Hi Amanda,
Hmm, bit late for winter squash now, but who knows, might as well let it do its business and you may see a small one or two...

katynewbie · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2006, 10:20:37 »

???

Amanda...snap! Plant has gone wild and threatening to take over Yorkshire, but no squashes :(

I cut it back a bit so that I could work round it and thought that it might help if the plant was spending less energy on growing rather than fruiting. No luck so far.

There is always next year! Will leave it and see, but not v hopeful. Think I should have done the hand pollinating thing...

:(

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2006, 11:24:32 »

It seems to have been the trend for a lot of my squashes this year, lots of foliage, but not as much fruit as last year. Does seem a bit late now, when autumn is now in the air. busy_lizzie

saddad · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2006, 18:16:41 »

I put a reject B/N squash from the plant sale in the poly very late it finally flowered last week and I hand pollinated them so fingers crossed.

Rosyred · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2006, 20:11:20 »

I had no fruit till a week ago and I have 3-4 now. When do I know they are ready?

Marymary · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2006, 21:39:21 »

Last year my BNS took ages to get going then they had loads of foliage & male flowers but no females until virtually the first frost so no chance to develop & all died off. This year I ordered seeds from Real Seed Company supposed to be easier to grow & earlier but the same thing is happening, I now have 2 females but have to wait to see if they've taken off though too late to get to any real size.
Any advice for next year about how to grow BNS, I feel I ought to give up as they take so much space but I keep thinking of lovely roasted BNS soup & risotto.

tricia · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2006, 21:54:46 »

Of my three plants there have been four on one and only one on the other of the container planted ones and several wee ones have recently appeared on the only squash planted which is in the ground. Yet on the two plants I gave to my friend there are 11 huge squashes on one plant and at least 4 on the other!! (The plant has made its way between the high wall and the greenhouse so it's difficult to see what had developed in that area. We'll have to wait till the foliage dies back to see what the harvest there will be) In any event, we'll have enough to last us through till next year ;D ;D ;D. The very prolific squash is planted along the other side of his greenhouse - don't know if it was the extra warmth reflected from the GH walls or what, but I have been supplying him with empty soft drink bottles to rest them on as they have just about taken over the path which runs alongside the GH. Talk about a triffid :) Last year it was a courgette planted on the other side of the path which ended up taking up most of the pathway.

Tricia

redimp · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2006, 22:06:21 »

Mine have been rubbish - so far one slowly expanding fruit out of four plants. Goping to try these next year:
Butternut 'Sprinter'

saddad · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2006, 22:51:06 »

One of the sale plants on our lottie planted in june had produced three good sized fruit by mid August....
???

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #10 on:** August 31, 2006, 09:24:52 »

Mine did nothing at all this year, but it's been a really bad year for squashes all round. I'll try again; I think it's a question of keeping them warm in spring, and not having a drought.

amanda21 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 31, 2006, 09:33:44 »

Thanks for the replies - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I just love BNS and they are expensive to keep buying so were one of my 'have-to-grow' veg when I first started - typical! :-\ Oh well I shall leave them be - just in case - and have another go next year.

Larkspur · « **Reply #12 on:** August 31, 2006, 10:33:14 »

Hi, I have grown Cobnut this year and am really pleased with the two plants which have produced about ten squashes, some of which must weigh 5 lbs. They have had no particular attention just watered every other day and fed regularly with liquid tomato food.

SteveJ · « **Reply #13 on:** August 31, 2006, 13:33:46 »

Quote from: redclanger on August 30, 2006, 22:06:21

Mine have been rubbish - so far one slowly expanding fruit out of four plants. Goping to try these next year:
Butternut 'Sprinter'

Hi RC,
Can thoroughly recommend these. Planted 10 seed in apr/May, and got 100% germination with very healthy little seedlings. Through my own stupidity, lost 9 of the plants (too keen to get them hardened off, and most got frosted). The one survivor was pampered like an only child and planted out in mid June. It has now produced 10-12 good sized fruits. Will definitely be buying this again next year as it seems to do well in cool dry perthshire.

sweet-pea · « **Reply #14 on:** August 31, 2006, 14:27:27 »

This has been my best year so far with butternuts. I have 1 huge fruit that is now starting to ripen, and 3 others still growing. Last year the fruit I got were much smaller and I ended up having to harvest them early and ripen them on a windowsill, but they still kept until the spring and tasted fantastic.
My other squashes have been doing ok too although as it's my first year I have nothing to compare them with. And as for the 2 'Jack be little' pumpkin plants I have, they've been very prolific fruiting like there is no tomorrow! Haven't had much luck with the hand pollinating though, it's the bees that have produced all the fruit.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #15 on:** August 31, 2006, 19:06:23 »

I made two mistakes with my squash; I didn't keep them warm enough in the spring, and I let them get too dry when they were still small. Hopefully they'll be better next year.

OliveOil · « **Reply #16 on:** August 31, 2006, 22:02:57 »

Well i finally got one butternut squash plant after all my efforts... I finally identified it after i found 3 babies! I still have one unidentifiable plant growing - looks like a cucumber but i could be wrong... and 2 other plants i dont know what they are but plenty of fruit! Fingers crossed they are tasty!

chrispea27 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 01, 2006, 07:07:22 »

amazing the different peoples experiences, was the v dry July to blame as mine has 2 BNS- good size and I did not water during July-on hols

moonbells · « **Reply #18 on:** September 01, 2006, 08:26:53 »

I planted six in a bed where there was a significant depth of manure, with only a thin layer of soil on top. They were slow to begin with, and then suddenly went whoosh. I've now got triffid land with (last time I counted) about 12-13 squashes growing. The first couple are now going yellow :) and will be coming off soon so the plants can concentrate (as it were) on the remainders.

I'll be fleecing them in a week or two to help them on!

moonbells

ps I think mine are butternut sprinter as well!

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** September 01, 2006, 18:15:19 »

What I've been finding is that most of the squashes have needed a good bit of watering till they reached a given size, then they shot away. The exception was West Indian Pumpkin, which were stronger when they went in. But they've still produced a pretty pathetic crop.

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Author Topic: Butternut Squash (Read 4591 times)