Squashes - What am I doing wrong?

[Garden Manager]

For the last couple of years i have been trying to grow winter squashes, particularly butternut squashes. So far I have had little success but don't know what i am doing wrong.

This year I have tried a variety from T&M called Harrier. The plants grew well from seed, i put in plenty of compost into the planting site and after a slow start and giving it plenty of water when it was dry they have grown well. Fine.

The problems started when they started to flower. I maintained the watering and have been giving them a regular feed with a tomato food. The plants have flowered and started to set fruit but before the fruits got to any size they have rotted or dropped off. This is a problem that has happened in past years with different varieties and different weather so i think it must be something i am doing wrong but don't know what. I seem to have been doing everything right so should be getting a good crop. Can any one help me out here please?

[Garden Manager]

[earlypea]

I think it's the tomato feed, which isn't the right mix of nutrients for squash, although some say it's the same. 

I had the exact same experience last year with a marrow and a crookneck.  I thought the earth wasn't too hot so I used tomato feed, Levington's with seaweed and the squashes dropped right off them a few days later.

Both plants came back weeks later (only fed one time) and grew some very good ones in the end.

[Bugloss2009]

I use chicken manure pellets as fertiliser, and a lot of them, over the season, not tomato fertiliser

if the fruits are dropping off when they're very small, they may not have been properly pollinated. Try pollinating the flowers by hand

http://www.ehow.com/how_4468625_hand-pollinate-squash.html

if the fruit are rotting when they're a bit bigger (ie properly pollinated), try keeping them off the ground - grow over a frame. Works well with butternuts if the frame is sturdy enough

Some years are better than others - particularly if the late summer/autumn is warm and there's rain. Last year was very good, and this year may be OK - if the mildew holds off.

Actually I have found that butternuts aren't particularly easy. Try a different squash

[pigeonseed]

I agree with bugloss - hand pollination will hopefully help.

I also sometimes trim off leaves, so flowers are visible to insects. But I have no idea if this is needed, I do it just in case!  :-\

I know they like rich soil, but maybe lots of compost or manure dug in before planting will be fine for them next year, without needing so much extra feeding.

Bugloss also mentioned trying other types - why not grow two or three varieties, so you have a better chance of one of them doing well? I've found uchiki kuri reliable - even in this bad year, they're doing well. The bigger squash are a bit rubbish for me this year.

Better luck next year!  :)

[realfood]

Garden Assistant, I see that you are in Dorset so Butternuts are possible. I think that part of your problem may be that you perhaps have not been removing the spent flowers when pollination has taken place. In wet or damp weather, this causes rot to start in the fruit and it drops off.
Other Winter squash varieties are easier, such as the first four suggested for early maturity on this page :- http://www.growyourown.info/page127.html

[beanie3]

had the same problem 2 years ago - and agree with others - hand pollunation worked for me.  Got a fine pain brush and did it myself.  Hope this helps.

[elvis2003]

thanks bugloss,ive been meaning to hand pollinate for three years now,and the description you posted was so clear i flew right up to the plot and had fun sexing up the squashes! 

[chriscross1966]

I fear any flowers that are being pollinated now won't have toime to make much of a fruit unless we get a fabulous autumn... I wish the seedsmen would stop promoting butternuts so much, they really are massively harder than mopst other winter squash to row to a crop in this country, I'd always suggest Festival as a first timers ideal squash, absolutely bomb proof.... that and Bon-Bon... tastes brilliant and it sets fruit early.....

[elvis2003]

two of our plants are in the greenhouse,so hopefully still time for those i saw to yesteday

[chriscross1966]

two of our plants are in the greenhouse,so hopefully still time for those i saw to yesteday

I think the problem might be as  much daylight hours left as temp... good luck though.... wish I had enough space in a vGH for squash....

chrisc

[bearded bloke]

My first year trying to grow anything,some things are better than others but amongst them I have a Harrier squash which until a fortnight ago had all fruit dying off then I got two survivors on one limb & this weekend one on another  :-\ 

[elvis2003]

two of our plants are in the greenhouse,so hopefully still time for those i saw to yesteday

I think the problem might be as  much daylight hours left as temp... good luck though.... wish I had enough space in a vGH for squash....
i seem to remember it wasnt till as late as october last year for the inside squash to ripen,i only have room cos OH has all the tomatoes in his GH  ;)
chrisc

[lewic]

I had the same problem with blue banana squash and hand pollinating them helped. Found that the male and female flowers dont always appear on the same day though!

Have not had so many problems with butternuts, but I think the type makes a big difference. Last year I had two plants from different places, one had a tennis ball size fruit and the other had 6 massive ones, bigger than you get in the supermarket. This year I tried Realseeds Waltham butternut, and have loads of big ones. I dug holes and grew them in manure/mushroom compost mix, and usually forget to water or feed them.

[sawfish]

for squash I just dig a hole, shove in manure and compost. Plant them in a small dip, water them big style then leave them alone. This seems to work well.