an obelisk and support for a squash

[strawberry1]

I am growing butternuts again this year and they are taking up a lot of ground space. I just saw a crown prince on the main thread, growing rampantly up an obelisk and I would like to do the same next year. How can I construct an obelisk suitable for the allotment and how would I support the crown prince squashes, which are quite heavy?

well changed my mind already, it seems that crown prince are very big and heavy. I would still like to use an obelisk so can anyone please recommend a vine winter squash that has much small fruits

[strawberry1]

[tricia]

You an buy cheap obelisks at Wilkos - that's where my three came from and I'm growing butternuts and Crown Prince on them. As the Crown Prince get bigger you can net them - I use nets from buying oranges or onions etc., - and tie the nets to the obelisk frame. The squashes in the pictures were grown up an old trellis which has now been replaced with the obelisks.

Tricia

[strawberry1]

Thank you so much Tricia, you have inspired me and enabled me to free up some precious space

[strawberry1]

I am expecting an obelisk to arrive this week and I have a squash plant that is just about getting going, so a good one to try. Harrier butternut, it will be on a windy allotment so I do have my fingers crossed. I suppose I can encourage it to wind around and around rather than go straight up. I am not expecting anything wonderful, like yours Tricia but you never know

[pumkinlover]

Last year I just used canes- they are quite strong one and I used a lot of blaer twine to tie up but it worked for the Sharks fin and they are quite prolific!

Tricia- they look so decorative! and yummy!

[tricia]

I'm beginning to get a bit worried  . There are already 12 Crown Prince growing well - some as big as oranges already! I am now removing any females that have still to flower because a) if all those 12 continue and ripen I'll not know where to store them all - and b) wondering if the obelisk will take the weight. I'm leaving all the male flowers though for the bees which seem to be in abundance this year - especially bumble bees.

A different kind of worry is for the butternuts, 2 Bush and 2 Hunter - there have been so many females which have not been pollinated and fallen off - I am beginning to wonder if any will set because of the lack of male flowers on all of them. I think I made a mistake when I only grew Moschata - 4 Butternut plants, Maxima - 2 Crown Prince plants and Pepo two Festival in tubs. Maybe two different varieties from each species would have been better for pollinations purposes.

One lives and learns  .

Tricia