Squash / pumpkin taming

[lewic]

I have a huge pumpkin plant which has only produced one fruit, which is now about beach ball size. The other reached tennis ball size and something ate it, it has loads of flowers but they are the wrong sex. There is a tiny fruit on the end of one of the trailing bits (I'm sure theres a word for this..) but these are getting eaten and/or shrivelling up before they grow bigger than a marble.

Also have several Burgess Buttercup squashes which have a couple of 4" fruits on each plant, and several little ones. Some of the little ones seem to be going the same way as the pumpkins though.

Butternuts are doing better, but I noticed some tiny ones today that dont look too healthy.

Should I be nipping off the growing tips, and/ or pulling off the smallest fruit? The plants are 12-20 foot from tip to tip, and going a bit mad!

[lewic]

[Sparkly]

I nip of the tips, but they will still send side shoots out. I have 2 atlantic giant plants that are huge (with huge pumpkins too). I have having to nip the shoots over every 4 days to keep it under control.

[allaboutliverpool]

There comes a time when new fruits do not have time to mature and you can safely remove growing ends.
If the plant is outdoors, any new fruit are unlikely to reach any form of maturity now.
You can see on my redesigned website the size that they are by now.

http://allaboutallotments.com/Butternutsquash.html

[Suzanne]

I shall have to take a piccy of my squash beds - well the jungle that the beds are now. Can't find my way through anymore. But if i peak at ground level - lots of fruit.

[chriscross1966]

I had a bit of a census of my winter squash today, I've got 3 Festival with a total of 12 fruit, four butternuts for another 12 fruit, two Bon-Bons with 6 fruit, a pair of Uchiri Kuri, 4 fruits, and what I think is a Ghostrider or possibly a Jack pumpkin with 8 fruits on it one of which is basically ripe, I'm about to go awsay for a week, so I had all the unopened flowers off them today but I'll let them   set another fruit each if one of the recently opened flowers takes..... So I'll have something between 40 and 50 winter squash..... anyone got any recipes?

chrisc

[saddad]

Soup...  :-\

[Squash64]

You can see on my redesigned website the size that they are by now.
http://allaboutallotments.com/Butternutsquash.html

Excellent website with such clear instructions.  

I grow many different squash and pumpkins every year but find that butternuts are always the slowest.  At the moment I have some massive Atlantic Giant and Sumo pumpkins, but the butternuts which were sown on the same day are still small plants and I doubt if they will produce anything this year.

The photo below was taken in late August 03.  They were grown outside with no protection at all.  Just shows what a good summer can do!

[Digeroo]

I'm doing quite well.  I have two large Tondo Padana, at least four blue hubbard, might me more, plants about 30 meters long.  Loads of turks turban (but they seem to be mostly seeds.  Looks like I shall be enjoying roasted pumpkin seeds, ) at least three butternut squashes, and one very Big Max, and several Uchi Kuri.  Actually these are what I can see, the whole place is a complete jungle.  They are trying to take over the entire allotment and are winning, there are not paths between the planting left, every path is not taken up by a pumpkin.

Bit disappoined by Red Kuri they seem to have only produced one small fruit per plant. 

[1066]

I nipped mine in the bud (as it were) today. I'd rather they now put their efforts into the actual squash and pumpkins. I've also had a few small ones rot away / be munched and I presume (?) that it was because they weren't pollinated.

I have been a bit disappointed in the number of squash etc per plant this year, I was hoping for better results than last year. But we also did a census on  Saturday and have approx 26 which should keep us going for a while  ;) I'm trying to tell myself its quality not quantity....... ???

1066

[lewic]

Thanks for the tips. I will give them a haircut later!

[small]

allaboutliverpool, that is an excellent website, clear and informative. Thankyou. This is my first year with a butternut squash, and reading the replies I may have missed the bus - several small stripey squashes but nothing turning yellow yet. Shall I cut everything beyond the set fruit off in the hope of ripening what there is?

[allaboutliverpool]

I think you can safely prune the ends of your branches, about 3 leaves past the last viable fruit.

You will also have to watch out for side branches and remove those.

I have also been disappointed with the number of fruit this year.

http://allaboutallotments.com/Butternutsquash.html

[woodypecks]

 While we,re talking about Squashes ...could anyone tell me what I can put under them to protect them from rotting / slugs etc ?   I only managed to  grow three small pmpkins and want to do everything I can to save them .   Also ... one fell off the plant  (nobody owned up )  , about the size of a large grapefruit  and is yellow , can I still cook this ?   Thanks .

[1066]

Hi woodypecks - there is a recent thread on here about what to put under your squashes (I'll see if I can find it for you), but basically people use straw, slates, bricks or nothing!
And yes I'm sure the 1 that fell off will be fine to eat, you may need to store it a while before you tuck in, but others will no doubt be along shortly to give you more comprehensive advice! BTW What variety?
1066

found it - http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,54380.0.html

[woodypecks]

Aah ! Thanks for that 1066 !   Yes  ,I am growing Atlantic Giant . I dont usualy go for the super dooper sized veggies ,but thought I ,d have a bit of fun this year .  As it turns out ,I think they will end up only regular sized pumpkins . Next year I,ll try the " pint of bitter every Monday " tip ! I ,m sorry I cant remember who posted that one ,on the same thread ,but it made me giggle !  :D

[1066]

I wonder if the pint of bitter every Monday is a bit like when you cook with alcohol - 1 for the pot and 1 for the cook  ;D  ;D  ;D