Butternut Squash up North.

[cacran]

Hi. Deb P mentioned a lasange bed. What is this, please?

[cacran]

[Deb P]

You cover your ground with thick cardboard, and pile layers of manure, compost and/or topsoil on top to suppress any weed growth from underneath, and provide a nice growing medium for planting into. Then you can plant directly into the surface layers, topping with any kind of mulch ( I used grass cuttings) to help stop any new weeds getting established. I grew courgettes, butternut squash, wigwams of beans, chard and rhubarb in the bed I created last year. It has worked really well, I'm just going to top it up with compost in the spring and keep it going! ;D

[Jeannine]

Hi my butternuts grew in East Yorkshire, as did the other dozen or so  different squash I did last year( I have a bit of a passion for squash and also tomatoes and melons)  I have only been back in the Uk for 6 years and it took me a while to get used to climate changes from West Coast of Canada, (the growing season is longer there,) but I found the secret for me was to start them off early, pot on and plant out a big plant. There are differnt strains on butternuts, maybe this makes a difference. Butternuts are not my favourites as they don't store as well as others but I do grow them.I have not had one make it this far but I still have several other types in storage that are doing just fine. Thought this may interest someone XX Jeannine. Now if I can work on organising my melon collection !!!

[cacran]

Thanks for that. I thought a Lasagne bed was a bit like the old April fool joke 'the spagetti tree' one, LOL!

[Robert_Brenchley]

  I have only been back in the Uk for 6 years and it took me a while to get used to climate changes from West Coast of Canada, (the growing season is longer there,) but I found the secret for me was to start them off early, pot on and plant out a big plant.

Whereabouts were you? I know someone who keeps bees at the northern end of BC, and had a real struggle breeding bees that could survive the winters. I suspect she's probably a long way north of where you were, but what always strikes me is that she's at the same latitude as the Lake District, with a far harsher climate. It shows how much difference the Gulf Stream makes.

[Jeannine]

Hi, I was in BC, just outside Vancouver,super long growing season as it os protected by Vancouver Island somewhat.XX Jeannine