Squash through the year?

[Hector]

I have been wanting to try squash for a while but have been out my depth with choosing fortaste/storage (I like sweet/nutty ones for baking and soups!)
Jeannine and others mention Delicata Sugarloaf and (Red???) Kuri. I also wonderwed about Jack Be Little?

Would this give me squashes through the season?
Many Thanks!
Jackie

[Hector]

[saddad]

I'd add Crown Prince for later use/storage....  :)

[Hector]

Thank you. Incidentally, to sustain this how much room would you need ( for squash for four in a family).  I can plant some in a greenhouse :)

[realfood]

Winter Squash are very big spreading plants and are better planted outside once all danger of frost has passed. It also allows the bees to do the pollination.

[Hector]

Winter Squash are very big spreading plants and are better planted outside once all danger of frost has passed. It also allows the bees to do the pollination.

That's good! It would suit me better to have as much out of the greenhouse as possible.  Which of the others do you think would cope with this? I am in the North Wastest (Cheshire/North Wales). Bit breezy but lovely :)

[tricia]

Butternuts are good for roasting and soups. They keep well too.

Tricia

[Suzanne]

My harvest from ten plants of different varieties. I am using the last of the Crown Prince and Sucrine de Berry now. These both stored well as did Triamble and the Buttercup, but I doubt whether you can make them last until the next harvest unless you freeze them as a puree.

[kt.]

This will be my first year growing squash.  I will be growing Cinderella Coach and Jack o'Lantern pumpkin,  Avalon and Harrier Butternuts.  I do not ever recall eating pumpkin in my life.  Always just hollowed them out for Halloween. 

[Hector]

My harvest from ten plants of different varieties. I am using the last of the Crown Prince and Sucrine de Berry now. These both stored well as did Triamble and the Buttercup, but I doubt whether you can make them last until the next harvest unless you freeze them as a puree.

My goodness, that is a seriously impressive haul :)

[Tora]

Hello Hector, I can recommend Marina di Chioggia. They usually keep until early summer. The taste is excellent too. It's my most favourite winter squash. :)

I grew Jack be Little last year but they started to rot in February even though they were fully 'cured'.

[Hector]

Thanks folks :) Can I ask how much room you all give to squash and which ones you have outside?

[BarriedaleNick]

I try to use space carefully so I plant out my squash in amoungst the sweetcorn.  I believe it's a south american thing (but could be wrong) called the three sisters.  Plant the corn out - put a bean in to grow up the corn (fixes nitrogen) and then plant the squash and trail around the sweetcorn.  I havent tried the bean as yet but had good results with just the other two and got a good crop (sqush and corn) out of a 8 by 8 (feet) bed.
You can also train some up a good sturdy trellis to save space but it does need to be v sturdy

BarriedaleNick

[Hector]

I try to use space carefully so I plant out my squash in amoungst the sweetcorn.  I believe it's a south american thing (but could be wrong) called the three sisters.  Plant the corn out - put a bean in to grow up the corn (fixes nitrogen) and then plant the squash and trail around the sweetcorn.  I havent tried the bean as yet but had good results with just the other two and got a good crop (sqush and corn) out of a 8 by 8 (feet) bed.
You can also train some up a good sturdy trellis to save space but it does need to be v sturdy
BarriedaleNick

Thank you, now I realise what folk meant by 3 sisters, sounds really good use of space. Could I use it with these varieties? Sorry if a silly question, not sure of relative hardiness of different varieties :)
Delicata Sugarloaf
(Red???) Kuri
Crown Prince
Marina di Chioggia

(incidentally do you need a lot of sweetcorn for this?)

[manicscousers]

we did our baby boo through the sunflowers last year, our corn is inside 
will be trying this with the hawk butternut this year, potimarron on the compost heap and hooligan and golden nugget planted in tyres on a compost 'pit' as usual  ;D

[daileg]

I try to use space carefully so I plant out my squash in amoungst the sweetcorn.  I believe it's a south american thing (but could be wrong) called the three sisters.  Plant the corn out - put a bean in to grow up the corn (fixes nitrogen) and then plant the squash and trail around the sweetcorn.  I havent tried the bean as yet but had good results with just the other two and got a good crop (sqush and corn) out of a 8 by 8 (feet) bed.
You can also train some up a good sturdy trellis to save space but it does need to be v sturdy
BarriedaleNick

Thank you, now I realise what folk meant by 3 sisters, sounds really good use of space. Could I use it with these varieties? Sorry if a silly question, not sure of relative hardiness of different varieties :)
Delicata Sugarloaf
(Red???) Kuri
Crown Prince
Marina di Chioggia

(incidentally do you need a lot of sweetcorn for this?)

Well to answer the first part of the question i grow my squash in the back garden as others have mentioned plant the corn according to the same as recommended on the packet ,
Plant in a grid as this allows for the plants to be pollinated equally
smaller squash will be fine to grow up trellis EG red Kuri , Butternut , Gems ext
Crown Prince is a winter variety and will spread quite large across the ground

depending on the ground space you have plant the sweetcorn about 12 inch square in a grid plant the squash underneath allowing the vine to grow outwards towards the the afternoon sun thus allowing as the season goes from spring to summer you try to establish as much sun on them as possible they like it hot and are a Hungary plant (Manure) water well in the evenings
place a piece of plumbers white plastic tube in the ground sunk in about three to four inch and water through the pipe as the the stem of the plant can rot if not planted on  tuft of soil ( a small mound)

[Hector]

Thanks all, I have ordered some squash seed and will have a go at this :)

[Hector]

Forgot to ask, in all you folks experience when do you sow each variety (under cover)
ie/
Delicata Sugarloaf
(Red???) Kuri
Crown Prince
Marina di Chioggia

[saddad]

We bang them all in about now... last week actually they are just showing through today. Can't plant out until end of May ea June here...  :-\

[realfood]

I am trialling some 10 Winter Squash varieties this year, including the 4 that I grew last year. They have all germinated during the  last week, except for Pink Banana, which I will need to resow.

[Hector]

Thanks folks. I've sowed a few of each.....how many would you plant for a family of four with healthy appetites that wan'ts to store a good amount :)