Topic: How are everyones squashes doing

[onionsquash]

I always grow lots of squash, gradually working my way through new and old varieties. We are getting very dry down here in Surrey and although they are not suffering, they appear to be behind other years - ie they have not completely covered the soil and started across the paths yet. It's enough work keeping leafy crops and beans watered and so I tend to leave squash to find their own moisture. I guess I would get bigger crops if I watered. What do others do, water regularly or treat as a low maintenance crop?

[lottiedolly]

I water mine every time i water my beans as they seem to be a thirsty crop

[manicscousers]

I'm afraid  they have to fend for themselves  :)

[star]

My Patti Pans......well one plant.....has a fair few leaves and loads of flowers.......ALL MALE!! Not one fruit developing, not surprising as there's no female flowers  :-[

Courgettes have had some fruit, not big ones and have slowed down such a lot. The first lot of fruit looked like they had blossom end rot. Peeps said on here to remove the flowers, which I did. That helped, I got a few at least.

All in all not a brilliant crop. :-\

[GrannieAnnie]

This year I'm going full throttle for squash and giving them a drink whenever they begin wilting= they seem happy then to produce little squashes.

[lottie lou]

Hells bells, I'm watering them every evening.  Do you think that is too much.  I have chucked in a sack of manure into my water butts but I'm not too sure whether I should or not.  All advice appreciated

[Allotment-junkie]

Yes Lottie Lou give em as much water and feed as you like they Love it

[Mortality]

My butternut squash (maybe - it is from a shop bought saved seeds) is growing like mad and taking over the 1m by 2m raised bed, only had 2 flowers so far with one possible squash forming, it looks to be the right pear shape at least.
I planted another what I thought was a squash plant in the same bed, but it looks to be a cucumber plant, doh ! and that has loads of little flowers on it.

[GrannieAnnie]

But you don't want thm to rot from too much water. I'd let the soil dry a bit

[1066]

well its a bit of a mixed bag for me, some have started to grow their fruit, others are still lagging behind. In fact generally the winter squash seem to be lagging this year. I guess there is still plenty of time yet for them to grow and maybe I'm being a bit impatient ......

1066  :)

[Crystalmoon]

Im having mixed results sofar too, mountains of courgettes but no pattypan yet, only just got tiny butternuts forming. The plants were really slow to bush up/grow their foilage but have really taken off in the last week so maybe they are just abit late this year. I did hold off on planting them out for ages due to the late frosts & it has been so dry in Kent that even watering them every day hasnt really been enough for them. I havent fed them very much this year yet as I tend to wait until the fruits are forming before feeding maybe I should have been more generous with the seaweed feeds 

[onionsquash]

It's a bit late this year and a real struggle to keep the leafy stuff watered - I find work and family take up too much of the time I should be on the allotment. Next year I must do a proper trial - two identical plots of squash, one watered and one not and see how much difference it makes to the final crop and whether it affects the taste!

[1066]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on onionsquash. I don't water much, if ever, but I do wonder if it would make a noticeable difference

1066  :)

[Squashfan]

Been eating the courgettes and watering and feeding the winter squash as muchas I can. I think the dry weather is really putting them on a go-slow. Lots of male flowers but no females yet on the one in my back garden.  :'( And one of my butternuts just upped and died on me.
They are a thirsty kind of crop so I tend to err on more water rather than less. The italian and french ones, musquee and marina di chioggia, seem to be the happiest ones of all. But still no squashes! I have been away for a few days so tonight I will go down and have a good look around. Fingers crossed!

[Mrs Gumboot]

Courgette only went out last week.    :-[     Horrendously late with some stuff thanks to the house move.

Munchkin seems to be producing little pumpkins very happily though. Glad it's planted in a compost bag as it was starting to take over the patio so it's been found a new home where it can romp away to its heart's delight. My fault for forgetting how big the blasted things get  ::)

[onionsquash]

Just popped in the allotment. Despite no watering since planting and no rain to speak of, most are doing OK, though less growth than normal - most have a couple of decent fruits and the Jumbo Banana has three. However, the butternuts and a Chinese sharkskin melon were wilting badly, so I relented and gave them a good old soak. It may be that some types are more drought-proof than others. Fascinating crop and lots more still to learn - but that's the joy of veg growing!

[Squashman]

I cut 2 festival squash, 3 rolet and 2 more scallopino today, my hubbard are growing like crazy same as the queensland blue, others forming fruits so hope for a bumper crop this year.

[Jeannine]

Well finally mine are staring to grow. I don't hold out too much hope for them though. They wer all plnted in a very long high raised disabled gardeners bed in our common area and first off, i would come  by anf find all the sticks were pulled out, then a few palnts were up rooted(in little Jiffies). replanted them several times and finally removed all the markers as they were all ixed up anyway. We think it was the the squirrells as the markers where quite bright and pullin on the markers were bringing the plants up.

It seems to have stopped now the markers are gone so they are finally starting to grow. I am reaaly cross as some were very rare so I will have to bag the lot now to get pure seed as I don't know which is which.

Growing Mayoral Blue, Japs, Grammas  all from Australia plus some old favoutites like Delicata, Poimarron  Kuri and a couple of summers.

You all seem to be doing very well.

XX Jeannine

[earlypea]

Sorry, very long post, but I've been so excited by my squashes these past 3 weeks........

I almost hate to say it, considering my earlier online panics and that some of you aren't having much luck this year, but I'm absolutely loving my squashes and they are running total riot round the plot  ;)  I do water regularly and some of them have got the best earth on the planet; my ex manure pens which I think must have been used by the old guy before me for scores of years.

I have two Tromba di Albenga, the one lying down grew at an exponential rate from 3 weeks ago and has set some lovely twisty entwined snakes, quite large now.  I had to eat some of them as babies down to a lack of other veg and I was surprised by the eating quality raw and lightly steamed.  The other one is supposed to climb up a trellis and started well but is now being squeezed badly by a kamo kamo.

My early kamo kamo in fairly duff earth is massive but disappointing; I've tried two baby fruits so far and to me they taste just like good old English marrow.  It's an absolute whopper but its leaves are not that interesting and it doesn't yet appear to set more than 3 squash.  The kamo kamo on the old compo heap set out later is doing well and looks more vigorous but no fruits as yet.

I just adore my Queensland Blue - it's swimming around with leaves the size of massive dinner plates and escaping left right and centre; lots of baby fruits, but not sure if they were fertilised or not.

I've two gem rolet which set fruit super early; one is now the size of a grapefruit, not sure how big they get but they're cute and black and shiny.

One of my Cornell's Bush Delicata is very handsome with full and bushy leaves and maybe first fruit set, it's a looker anyway.  Something kept digging round the other one's roots and it's dangerously encircled by a kamo kamo, not sure it'll make it.

My crookneck continues to amaze - it's fruiting a month earlier than last year and so prolific.  Once that dies back I'm hoping my late coussa and pattipan will take over - both doing well.

My achocha Caigua is frolicking amongst my beans and setting small fruits.  Got my first taste of mouse melons a couple of days ago, nice  :)  I planted some late fat baby achocha amongst my sweetcorn because they go rampant in September/October frosts permitting and they're establishing themselves well.

The only squashes that really aren't doing well at all are my cucumbers, which look totally yellow and stunted; weird, 2 varieties in 2 locations - I may pull them.  cucumber mosaic virus maybe?  Can't think that the weather wouldn't suit them  :-\

Anyway, all in all, I'm just thrilled every time I go down to see them.  It's the closest thing to keeping pets I've come across in the plant world  :)  Thank God for this forum where I can babble on because I keep trying to drag friends and relations down to see them, but they're not interested  :'(  can't shift 'em down there at all.

I have to say a big thanks to various people here, including the obvious ones, but others who posted photos last year which got me very curious and others for advice and others for seeds - I'd never have even thought about growing them without this forum.

Hurry up with the book Jeannine  ;) - I've order the Compleat Squash because I saw a cheap copy, but I'd rather buy yours for the UK specifics any day.

[Jeannine]

What a heart warming post, so good to hear someone  so excited about squash. and they seem to be doing very well.

I think you might find your KamkKamo has a btter flavour after curing and storing . It will get sweeter.

The same goes for your Rolet, it is used as as summer squash when green about the size of a cricket balll is good,  so you could try those now, I still think they are better cured and kept as a winter squash though when they turn orange in storage,
,

Queensland Blue is an excellent squash, leave that one last in store, they seem to be bombproof.

Deilicatas are of course one of my favourites.

Your crookneck should stay proloific right through the season along with your cousa and pattypans, pick them all when young, cosa up to 4 incges , pattpans I  start to pick at 2 inches  and crooks at about 4. They will grow and grow as long as you keep picking them.

I am glad you got Amy's book it is a lovely one.. mine if it ever gets out will be much more basic, it's been a work in progress for a long time..one day..

So pleased to hear you are enjoying something I adore XX Jeannine