Climbing Squash

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

All

I am keen to grow squash this season but I know they require lots of space.  I am therefore keen to grow a variety that will climb or at least will thrive being trained - over an arch or horizontally on canes along the side of the plot.  Anyone ever tried this and with how much success?  I had partial success with a pumpkin which grew 'wild' out of compost last summer.  All help appreciated and pics a bonus!

Psi

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

[tonybloke]

yep! they grow well up anything, and produce tendrils to help themselves. 'sprinter' is a good butternut for climbing. (organic catalogue) ;)

[Barnowl]

Do you have to support the fruit?

[shirlton]

I want to do that with some squash this year but don't know if the varieties I have are ok to do it with. I have Bon Bon ,sweet dumpling and metro.

[shirlton]

Tony I tried to pm you but yer in box is full. I know you offered me some harrier seed and bocking comfrey before and I sent you my addy. If you can spare thesea s well as the other I would be very grateful

[tonybloke]

I'll post them 2gether, then! ;)

[markfield rover]

We did this last year ,up and then along the runner bean structure,the fruit hung down a treat.The winter squashes  were ready when the beans were finishing.

[flossy]

   Hi Psi,    stick them in the ground with a bit of space to spread, even over a path,

                 ---   you will have Squash, they are not a lot of trouble  ---   give 'em a feed

    and let them go.      Mind you , the specialised squash growers have a lot more

    knowledge,   I am talking roasting and soup , butternut squash type !!    ;D

    floss xxx

[Squash63]

I grow many different varieties of squash up 8ft. canes, in a row like runner beans.  I fasten them on to the canes when they are small but once they get going they cling on by themselves. It's a good way to get a lot of plants growing in a small amount of space.  You can grow heavy squash too, like Tromba d'Albegna and Blue Banana, but I wouldn't recommend anything like Atlantic Giant!

[thifasmom]

I grow many different varieties of squash up 8ft. canes, in a row like runner beans.  I fasten them on to the canes when they are small but once they get going they cling on by themselves. It's a good way to get a lot of plants growing in a small amount of space.  You can grow heavy squash too, like Tromba d'Albegna and Blue Banana, but I wouldn't recommend anything like Atlantic Giant!

what sort of spacing do you use for this method and do you have any pictures for a visual aid :).

[Duke Ellington]

I would like to see pictures too !!

Duke:)

[spudsmummy]

i too would like to grow some but space is a problem. which varieties are best?

thanks Paula  ;D

[Squash63]

I have put some photos of my climbing squash on photobucket here
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/squash/
(hope it works)

I plant them roughly 18 inches apart, next to 8 ft. bamboo canes. They only need fastening to the canes for a few weeks until they start climbing.  I've grown many different squash this way, some of them quite heavy like the Blue Banana in the photos.  The Sicilian Snakes were grown for our allotment competition to see who could grow the longest one.  I planted one Snake plant next to the greenhouse and it rambled up onto the roof and gave some nice shade inside.

Any type of squash which sends out shoots (most of them I think) can be grown up canes. It's surprising that the stems can support the weight of the squash but they can!

[shirlton]

Just looked and they look fantastic. Am definitely going to grow mine like that. It will save me from shouting at Tony everytime he gets near to one thats trailing lol

[saddad]

Veg spaghetti climbs well also...  :)

[Suzanne]

They do look fantastic, I can think of the exact place where I am going to give this a go.

[thifasmom]

I have put some photos of my climbing squash on photobucket here
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/squash/
(hope it works)

I plant them roughly 18 inches apart, next to 8 ft. bamboo canes. They only need fastening to the canes for a few weeks until they start climbing.  I've grown many different squash this way, some of them quite heavy like the Blue Banana in the photos.  The Sicilian Snakes were grown for our allotment competition to see who could grow the longest one.  I planted one Snake plant next to the greenhouse and it rambled up onto the roof and gave some nice shade inside.

Any type of squash which sends out shoots (most of them I think) can be grown up canes. It's surprising that the stems can support the weight of the squash but they can!

thanks for the info and pics.

only 18" apart? I'm assuming the soil was richly prepared with lots of manure? how do you prepare the planting area?

i plan on growing quite a few varieties together in a space that i know would normally be considered too small and was wondering if by adding as much organic material as i possible can would help to cancell out the negative.

do you also feed them during the growing season?

[Squash63]

I prepare the soil by digging a trench in the autumn and filling it with compost, manure,and any green waste that would go on the compost heap.
I feed with organic chicken pellets when I remember.  They just seem to grow without any problems so long as the soil is good.

[spudsmummy]

they look fab  :D

cant wait to have a go. think i will just do one or two this season as i dont have much of my plot cleared but defo going to do this next season, they look great.

paula

[thifasmom]

I prepare the soil by digging a trench in the autumn and filling it with compost, manure,and any green waste that would go on the compost heap.
I feed with organic chicken pellets when I remember.  They just seem to grow without any problems so long as the soil is good.

thanks again for the reply :). will follow your lead and fill the planting hole with lots of compost and rabbit manure.