Seed sawp overkill ... squash

[flowerlady]

OK Flo's done it again !!  29 plants ... so which ones crawl for miles ???
::) ;D

Two types courgette that I know do not crawl and  ...

Turks Turban
Delicat
Festival
Jaspee
Butternut
Crown Prince
Pink Banana
Patti Pan
Rond de Nice
Queensland Blue
Small Sugar Pumpkin

Jeannine .... !!!!!  heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp !!

[flowerlady]

[cambourne7]

Hi

Jaspee is quite a trailing plant mine went maybe 7-10ft out from the main planting point last year.

Hope that helps.

Cambourne7

[Squashmad]

Why not grow them on wigwams - I did this last year with Pink Bannana and it was a great sucess that way.

[dandelion]

I'm sure Jeannine will be along soon but meanwhile...

I think most of those are trailing, except perhaps the pattypan (I'm growing a bush one ) and possibly the rond de Nice (there may be different types of this; the one I grew last year was trailing though). I'm using a wigwam too this year, but only for the smaller fruited varieties. Also, you could plant some squashes near First or Second Early Potatoes, so they can scramble over the area when the spuds are lifted.

[sweet-pea]

Why not grow them on wigwams - I did this last year with Pink Bannana and it was a great sucess that way.

When you grew them on wigwams did you have to provide any additional support i.e. netting or string wound around the wigwam, or do they just grow around it by themselves?

SP x

[Squashmad]

I put some string round the wigwam SP and tied them in near fruits - the fruits grew as big as Butternut squash, and didn't have a problem. xx

[flowerlady]

Available space ...

* where new spuds were  ... great thinking dandilion ;D
* in and around the sweetcorn ... did not add the beans this year may do later ... a la 3 sisters  ;)
* I was thinking through the winter brassicas too... there will be beans there too ...
* and I have a very small shed which will take a trellis for the heavier varieties ... my pink banana got to 12lbs last year !!

I tend to plant checkerboard style ... beans with brassicas ... but I don't see why I shouldn't add the odd squash  ;D

Oh and I nearly forgot I have a 'Snake' to grow up the Plum Tree  ::) ::) ::) ;D ;D ;D

[Jeannine]

Well Flo, you are in pretty deep water there my lovely.

All will probably  vine except the two that Dandelion mentioned..Rond ne Nice and Pattypan.

So where are you gonna put them all. Most have  the capability to grow 20 feet or more,they may not but they very well could.


I think we would kook forward to pictures of you in your pumkin' forest.

Try and keep your 4 summer ones away from the others if you can,you will need to be picking those all the time,The others you can just let go and harvest them after the foliage dies down. Oh and pick you Rond at about 4 inches,it is at it's best then I think.

You certainly could try for a wigwam with the smaller ones, or train them down the side of paths etc.

Your Butternut and Delicata  may not trail, these ones come in bush and vine types it depends on the variety,there would be another name as well.eg rather than just Butternut, it could say Walthams Butternut,Nicklow's Butternut or Zenith Butternut and there are loads more. If your Deli one is simply just Delicata it has a shorter  vine than most of the others. . If a Cornells Delicata it is a bush.If you know about the names I can tell you better.

Queensland Blue has a particularly vigorous vine

Word of caution, when you venture into this patch I think it might be a good idea to follow the lone workers policy and let someone know as you enter.

You are going to have a lot of fun this year.

XXXXX Jeannine

[Suzanne]

Flo

You seem to have the same problem I have - too many plants and too little space. Come early Septemeber I am not going into the pumpkin patch without a mobile phone, white flag on a long stick in case of no phone signal, and a long piece of string so I can attempt to find my way out.  ;D

[Jeannine]

and Suzanne,don't stand still for long,they grow really fast,keep na eye open in case they creep up on you watch those tendrils,people have been known to vanish.

[OliveOil]

I have put either 25 or 30 in, similar to yours so i know how you feel.  In fact it may be more i just cant remember how many rows i did.  My plan is to mulch the whole lot with straw as weeds will grow as they did last year BIG TIME and its no fun trailing through thistles and such to find baby squashes, I might try the wig wams I'll see how it goes... I put my QLD blues down the bottom so they will prob trail into the tree and I'll have to go searching as its a bushy tree lol.  I must take photos soon

[flowerlady]

... lets all compare notes a bit later

... and I've just gone and bought one of those huge kiddie windmills that is bright orange that I can hoist onto a long stick  ;)  ::) ;D

[Jeannine]

I don't know how you do it, I spent heaps of time and thought wondering which ones to plant,I finally chose 24 and produced 2 plants of each giving me 48. After planting them out the vandals got them.I decided to re sow but again couldn't decide, so I sowed 3 seeds to a 3 inch pot of ALL my winter squash,as they germinated I pulled out 2 seedlings to get me down to just one of each variety . I now have to find room for 80 something squash.

They have a full lottie to themselves  but I don't think they will fit, so I am looking at trees, frames whatever!!

I think some of us have a serious squash problem.

XX Jeannine

[cambourne7]

What are you going to do with all that produce?

[OliveOil]

serious squash probs yes!  Some of my squash died to the lawn mower - lovely plotty mowed my bit where i was hardening squashes off and mowed them! and my i offered some squashes to lotty neighbour who is brilliant to me... he helped himself to the squashes Supersprouts squashes didn't he!!!! Didnt have the heart to retrieve them as he would have been sooo mortified and it didnt seem in the spirit of supersprout to retrieve them so i just hope he gets plenty of fruit so i can have one of each!

[flowerlady]

Don't forget to ask for the seeds !! !!  Then you can share them with us mad people !!  ::) ;D

[Jeannine]

Who's mad, did I miss something.

I think it is perfectly sane to grow a few squash, if fact I think you are only losing it when...........

you sit next to your plants on cold night in your winter woolies,with your hair dryer
(on a very long extension cable) is keeping you babies warm.

or

you give them names

or

you collect so many you forgot their names

or

you have to keep your list of seeds on a spread sheet

or


??????????????

[shirlton]

I must have around 30 now cos after the frost I planted more and the ones that I thought the frost had gotten started to grow. I'm sharing them with my daughter Bunjy who has the plot next door. I've never grown them before so it should prove to be rather amusing. I've got burgess buttercup, pattypan, waltham butternut.wilkies butternut. I would like to grow some up a wigwam cos we have lots of tree branches we can use. come on Jeanine give me some advice as to what will best suited to the wigwam. Most of the ones I have grown are on the end of rows so that they can wander where they want to.

[cambourne7]

your house is going to start looking like this

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/IMG_0254.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/IMG_0253.jpg

[Jeannine]

Hi Shirlton, your Buttercup should do OK,and both your Butternuts,be prepared to give them some support,tights off gals, oh and by the way, the stalks become stronger when growing upright.I don't the scientific reason why but they do for sure.

Your Pattypan is a summer squash, treat it asa courgette, pick often.It won't keep and the plant needs to be harvested often to keep going.

Best to plant them away from the winter types if you can as they are bush.


Thank you for the pictures Louise. You see folks  we are perfectly rational, then every week or so you swap them with the ones under the bed, the loft, the garage,in the tumlbe dryer,top of the wardrobes,boot of the car. I love to change things around.

We even eat one sometimes!!!

XX Jeannine

XX Jeannine