Author Topic: climbing squash (Read 17523 times)

Sparkly · « **on:** March 29, 2007, 23:41:49 »

Recommendations for a productive squash that I could grow as a climber? I have decided there is no room at the allotment and don't want to take up a whole flower bed at home with them. I was thinking growing them up the trellis and fence could be a neat idea. Also how much 'root space' would they need? I am hoping to fill this raised bed with tomato plants and then put the squash in at the back and allow it to grow upwards. The raised bed is approx 1.5 wide so most of this space will be taken by the tomatoes.

HappyCatz · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2007, 03:45:19 »

I grew 'red kuri' last year, three plants up a wigwam, they did quite well and if you leave the skins to harden, they do store well too [have only just finished our last one :)]. not sure about spacing but guess that the less root space available, the less productive they will be. Mine were spaced about a meter apart around the base of a wigwam if that helps

Jeannine · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2007, 08:16:16 »

Any of the vining squash, which is most of the winter squash and pumpkins will grow up the same as a cuke or melon, it really is dependant on the size of the finished squash, There is a huge list.If you post what type you are planning I can tell you. On the other hand most of the summer squash are bush and will not, There are exceptions to the rules . XX Jeannine

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2007, 08:49:43 »

For the past three years I have grown my squash up a frame, and they naturally twirl themselves around it. It is a great way to save space as they would cover the whole plot if you let them. This was last years frame, and I had just planted them out, in the same bed as the courgettes and sweet corn. busy_lizzie

legless · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2007, 09:14:27 »

uchiki kuri have been good for me for the past 3 years, i've never got a fruit off twonga though which is disappointing

allaboutliverpool · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2007, 15:59:25 »

If you look at my website you will see two squashes planted in my deep bed arrangement. The beauty is that in the early days there is a cover on and as the plants grow they are contained and extra height can be added. I had 11 ripe fruits. This year I am going to have 6 plants and they are aready growing in the greenhouse.

onionhead · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2007, 16:22:28 »

I had great success with a couple of basic winter butternut plants trained up a wigwam last year. Harvested the fruits before they got too cumbersome.

Incidentally, has anyone heard of a squash called Zucca 'Marina di Chioggia'? A friend brought me a packet of seeds back from Italy. Grotesque, reptilian-looking thing. Does it climb? Is it even edible?

dandelion · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2007, 16:40:06 »

Quote from: onionhead on March 30, 2007, 16:22:28

Incidentally, has anyone heard of a squash called Zucca 'Marina di Chioggia'? A friend brought me a packet of seeds back from Italy. Grotesque, reptilian-looking thing. Does it climb? Is it even edible?

It is delicious, one of the best 8)! Very dense, orange flesh. Mine never got very warty though. And it's a bit big to climb. This year I'm letting Marina di Chioggia and Crown Prince crawl, while Potimarron and Buttercup (both smaller ones) will climb.

Emagggie · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2007, 17:29:59 »

Quote from: Jeannine on March 30, 2007, 08:16:16

Any of the vining squash, which is most of the winter squash and pumpkins will grow up the same as a cuke or melon, it really is dependant on the size of the finished squash, There is a huge list.If you post what type you are planning I can tell you. On the other hand most of the summer squash are bush and will not, There are exceptions to the rules . XX Jeannine

Novice squash grower here, Jeannine. Grew butternuts successfully last year but they did travel :o
Can you tell me if Japanese Dumpling and Futsu will climb? Also do you think butternuts are too heavy to climb? Thanks in anticipation,
Maggie.
Thanks for posting this Sparkly, I had been wondering too. ;D

Jeannine · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2007, 19:09:23 »

Hi Maggie, Futsu will if you take some weight of the stem, but it would be touch and go, I would try it personally though.I don't know the other one, are you sure it is not Japanese Futsu and Sweet Dumpling.

Butternuts , depends on which one, there are many, some are much bigger than others, again touch and go for the real big ones, ok for the smaller varieties.

I am not much help today am I?

Bear in mind that they don't actually climb and hang on like beans do, you will have to help them a bit, tie them in as you would a cucumber

XX Jeannine

Emagggie · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2007, 21:24:23 »

Just found the instructions sent to me by Trixiebelle (they were from Supersprouts originals)- I thought I'd lost them (along with the tom seeds ::)) and she had said the same more or less.
Thankyou muchly- it's up and over then ;D

Acerfan · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2007, 21:52:03 »

Hi, I'm a relative newbie & definite newbie to squash growing. Can anyone tell me if Zucchino - Custard White, Squash - Winter Festival or Maiden Poll will climb please? Space is a real issue, so anything growing upwards is a godsend.
Many thanks

Jeannine · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2007, 21:56:52 »

Hi Acerfan, Custard white will not ,it is a summer squash, bush, treat like a courgette,

Festival is a winter and it will vine, but it may be a little heavy, I would have a go just be prepared to give the squash a help , in a net or stocking sling to take the weight of the stem.

I am sorry but I don't know the third one. I will check my squash books and if I find it I will get back to you.

XX Jeannine

Jeannine · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2007, 22:00:18 »

Hi, it is apparently a semi vining summer squash,therfore I think it will be OK, an acorn is a semi vine and it goes well on a trellis. XX Jeannine

Acerfan · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2007, 22:05:13 »

Thanks Jeannine, that's great.

potterfanpete · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2007, 07:05:59 »

On thek of the packet of my ornamental gourd seeds, it says that they are a vining plant, that can be trailed or trained...I guess that means up trellis?

dingerbell · « **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2007, 14:25:18 »

Although it's actually a Courgette, Tromboncino Albenga is a TRUE climber and the fruits are very impressive, up to 3 feet long with a Bell-end like a Trombone. They are best picked at about 1 foot long and all the seeds are at the bell-end so you get more flesh! :o

allaboutliverpool · « **Reply #17 on:** April 01, 2007, 21:08:33 »

Going back to my last post, I failed to mention that butternut squash is not a vine, ie it does not have tendrils that grip things. It is more like a courgette or pumpkin that trails over the ground, hence my method of confining each plant to a small area. The early photo in my website shows a frame that contains two plants that produce 11 squashes, some of which are shown stored. The largest weighed nearly 3 kilograms and made Tesco ones look like minatures. The flavour was just as good as small ones.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

I will post a squash page shortly

Jeannine · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2007, 22:52:23 »

The word vine when used in relation to a squash does not denote a plant that holds on. It merely means it rambles. A vine(indeterminate) type of tomato is just the same. It is a misleading word when used in gardening.

None of the squash, summer or winter actually cling on.

They will however grow on a trellis because they grow so long and they can be trained upwards by being tied on.

Even the very long ones can be trained to grow on a trellis, if they grow vertically the stem actually grows thicker than if growing on the ground . It is the weight of the fruit that would decide wether to trellis grow or not. Having said that, there are ways to hold up enormous fruit if one wants the bother,most of us don't.

It has been said that the vine needs to root itself periodically but again it does not need to, many squash are grown on plastic and cannot root. If I grow on plastic, I tether then every so often so they don't blow around, they don't need it.

The bush types do not grow the same, therfore they cannot be trained upwards.

Practically all courgettes(zucchini) are bush, they do not trail over the ground.

The pumpkin on the other hand is a winter squash so is a butternut so it both of those trail.

The bush grow to it's mature spread and stops.

There are one or two exceptions that are semi trailing.

If anyone is stuck as to what kind they have in all probability I can tell you which they are.

I don't want to complicate things further but squash/pumpkins/courgette basically all fall into 4 families. The leaves, stems, etc of each family are distinctly different. They do not cross pollinate outside their own family so if you have a plant and you don't know it's name it is not difficult to identify which family it belongs to if you want to save the seeds. It will of course cross with another in it's family.

If you were to grow eg

Table Queen acorn ( pepo family)
Red Kuri (maxima family)
Butternut (moschata family)
Green striped Cushaw ( mixta family)

They would not cross pollinate.

If anyone is interested in pursuing this I can give you specifics.

XX Jeannine

allaboutliverpool · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2007, 22:57:23 »

Thanks,
I am happy to be corrected. I will now grow two of my plants up a frame and four in the frames. I will let you know how I get on, the result may well be unfair as the ones up a frame wil have to be in the open air! Not really scientific.

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Author Topic: climbing squash (Read 17523 times)