Climbing Uchiki kuri

[cestrian]

Hi I am trying to grow squash this year for the first time. I've just moved my uchiki kuri plants from the windowsills to 12L pots in the greenhouse. I am preparing a raised bed for them and would like to grow them up trellis.

Could someone tell me how high they will grow, so I know how high to build the trellis? Also I've read that these plants should be spaced 3 ft apart. Is this just if they are allowed to spread across the ground? If they are allowed to climb up a support can they be grown closer together?

[cestrian]

[antipodes]

The fruit can get heavy and need support! Maybe some kind of "stepped" system where the fruits can rest on something? They are vines several feet long (6 to 8 feet?). Pinch them out once a few fruit are well-formed and growing.
They are greedy feeders so I still think at least 50cm apart even if grown upwards. jeannine would know more ;-)

[goodlife]

The "3 ft" is quoted to allow some ground space for sprawling plants but also, squashes are greedy plants ..they need lots of water and 'food'..if you do give them closer spacing, there is more competition for each plant for what they get out from the shared space so it will give you more challenge to able to provide for their needs.
As for height...the sky is the limit..uchiki kuri will grow into looooong plant if it has enough food, water and given space...but rather than making sky scraper for your plans..just make up just ordinary size trellis, but very sturdy one, and you can then tie the plant(s) in as they grow. Depending of the size of your trellis..you might find just one per trellis being enough..not only the plants have some weight, but the numerous fruits together will be a good load. Individual fruits are not that big, but each plant is able to produce several.

[Obelixx]

I have a wire mesh fence made from sheets of 2m x 5m steel mesh for reinforcing concrete.  It separates my veggie plot from an arable field behind but doesn't stop rain or sunshine getting at the plants from both sides.   I always grow my pumpkins up it so they get extra sun for ripening the fruit, ara away form slugs and cover less ground.  I plant them all about 3' apart, regardless of variety and make sure they are in a little hollow so the get extra water form rain or hosepipe accordingly.    The soil is always prepared with plenty of home made garden compost so it's as rich and moisture retentive as I can make it.

[Nora42]

great topic and just in time too - I pulled all my seeds for squashes out last night and I have uchiki kuri seeds too.
I was thinking of planting one in the compost bin and letting in trail onto the ground. I have an allotment neighbour who grows a squash plant that way every year and last year they were fab Queensland Blue they looked beautiful.

bit too cold today to sow the seeds I may wait another week or so I guess they will catch up just as well.

Nora

[Obelixx]

I won't be sowing mine for a couple of weeks, partly cos I've just had my left foot reconstructed and am a tad handicapped for the time being and partly because I first need to get all my chillies and tomatoes potted on into bigger pots and moved to the greenhouse so I can keep an eye on the new cucs and pumpkin babies.

[goodlife]

I don't sow mine for few weeks yet..and never plant out until last week of May earliest.
Compost bin planting works really well..I've had some good results that way

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

I remember reading somewhere of leaning two pallets against one another to allow a winter squash to climb up them. Pallets ought to be sturdy enough. I might try this myself this year.

[galina]

I have had big fruited squashes like pink banana and chilacayote (sharks fin melon) on trellises and they have never had a problem with the weight of fruit.  Mine were all unsupported.

The only time the weight of fruit mattered was when I cut down a pink banana overhead and couldn't quite catch it and it bruised my cheeks on the way down, which slowed it sufficiently and it didn't even burst!!!

My face looked all shades of a rainbow for a week though.