This maybe a very stupid question to ask :-[ but here goes..............
My butternut squash has one female flower on the plant and no male flowers but my pumpkins plants have lots male flowers.
Stupid question (are you ready) can I use a male pumpkin to pollinate
my female butternut squash ?
As you can tell I am totally new to veg growing! :-[
TGF :D
Hi growingfamily, yes, you can inter-pollinate all the squash family :o
Just don't expect the seed to come true :P
Yes, Cucurbits are a bunch of tarts and will happily fertilise each other.
Does this include melons, or are they completely different? ???
I have 5 beautiful melon plants, after having a lovely crop off just two last year. This year, so far, I only have 2 fruit!!!!
I just don't seem to be getting any female flowers, just loads of males - is there anything I should be doing to change this? :-\
Anybody got any idea on how many squash you should allow to grow on any one plant?
(waves arms vaguely) up to eight? ::)
Thanks for the replies!
Female butternut squash has been unfaithful with a male pumpkin flower! ;)
TGF :D
Mine obviously possess either an immense guilt complex or are very faithful indeed: they've all closed up... :(
has anyone got any photos of butternut squash plants???
I planted loads of seeds of butternuts and other pumpkins, cucs, corgettes and so far only my corgettes are bearing fruit.... all the others have been mixed up due to the bloody chickens pulling off labels etc so i have no idea what is what! Or even if i have any butternuts!
Only my courgette and Spaghetti marrow have set so far, and a butternut squash plant looks much the same as the rest, I got one mixed up with a Crystal Apple Cuc.
;D
::)
Olive...will nip up in the morning and snap mine for you.Don't know if it will help, not so much as a sniff of a squash yet, but you are welcome to see if it's like yours.
;)
Just nipped out and taken a couple of photos for you!
Hope this helps but remember I only have female flowers ::)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/TheGrowingFamily/DSCF0071.jpg)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/TheGrowingFamily/DSCF0057.jpg)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/TheGrowingFamily/DSCF0055.jpg)
sorry about the size.
How do I reduce the size?
WOW !!!! :o
This is a first........ I've never seen anyone hoping for SMALLER veg on the forums before. ;D
Just a newbie so maybe others can correct me, but has this ever happened before ???
Quote from: OliveOil on July 22, 2006, 16:15:19
has anyone got any photos of butternut squash plants???
I planted loads of seeds of butternuts and other pumpkins, cucs, corgettes and so far only my corgettes are bearing fruit.... all the others have been mixed up due to the bloody chickens pulling off labels etc so i have no idea what is what! Or even if i have any butternuts!
Courgette
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/mike_brennan/Courgettes600x357.jpg)
Melon
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/mike_brennan/Melon.jpg)
Squash
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/mike_brennan/Squash1600x449.jpg)
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/mike_brennan/Squash2.jpg)
Hope this helps
I've just realised ALL my squashes, pumpkins and cucs are quite small plants but starting to flower already!!!!! I fear this is bad news!
Ha ha ;D
I was on about the size of photos. lol!
My butternut squash can go a large as they want :D
TGF :D
Brilliant pics everyone, really enjoying this thread, thank you :-*
Quote from: OliveOil on July 22, 2006, 22:29:44
I've just realised ALL my squashes, pumpkins and cucs are quite small plants but starting to flower already!!!!! I fear this is bad news!
OO i was worried about this especially with my courgettes but they have turned it around and started growing properly now. So fingers crossed
Mine are mostly small plants, which are starting to grow away now. The exception is some pumpkins which I had in the mini greenhouse rather than under cloches with open ends. I think the moral is, keep them closed up in spring, so they're warm and moist.
Quote from: supersprout on July 22, 2006, 13:29:44
(waves arms vaguely) up to eight? ::)
Vaguely waves back ;), I guess the six I've got will be OK then, thanks.
:(
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/katynewbie/Allotmentpics022-1.jpg)
That's MUCH bigger than mine ATM.
If I get owt off mine I'll be happy.... :(
Nope - all my plants are tiny compared to the photos - prob about 1 1/2 feet across MAX with most of them being about 12 inches across... the courgettes are doing well at about 2 1/2 foot across.... courgettes are producing and the rest - well alot are flowering and some females there too... still no idea what they are yet!
Cant wait though!
All my squash plants - pumpkins and butternuts, and my courgettes, only have male flowers. In fact, I think they are organising a Gay Pride event up there at the weekend
can my cucumbers come?
::)
i mean to the gay pride march? ;D
they are in green and yellow,terrific fun -WLTM similar of the female persuasion...failing that ,same sex flower...GSOH essential,cucumber optional.......
*sigh*
Kukumberless kitty......
LMAO kitty!
;D ;D ;D @kitty
;D
QuoteLMAO-
please!decorum in the ranks!we'll have no 'laugh my botty off' jokes under the circs! ;)
actually-i have found three of the
weeniest teeniest cucs a-hiding under the foliage-phew!
i thought i was barren!
kittykukumber
Ahhh Haaaa went up again today and i def have one butternut squahs plant with 6 babies!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also have 2 patty pan plants with loads of babies too! The other plants i cant identify - i think they are other squash and courgettes but who knows!
see...we are just too impatient!
;D
kitty
Quote from: OliveOil on July 22, 2006, 16:15:19
has anyone got any photos of butternut squash plants???
I planted loads of seeds of butternuts and other pumpkins, cucs, corgettes and so far only my corgettes are bearing fruit.... all the others have been mixed up due to the bloody chickens pulling off labels etc so i have no idea what is what! Or even if i have any butternuts!
You have chickens I have a four year old, I am gradually relabelling plant as I work out ehat they are, but my squash bed is still largely a mystery.
I also planted my plants way too close, they are now a tangled mass akin to the briar in sleeping beauty, pinchin out is going to be a nightmare as working out which vine is whch is going to be impossible.
My courgettes are in teh middle, doh! They are masters of hiding as it is, but I have to wide through vines upto my waist to delve for the fruits, which are invariably marrow sized when I find them.
We live and learn.
Heard a programme on R4 yesterday about aversion therapists who thought that being gay was a choice ::) and could be 'cured' by aversion therapy. Needless to say, it didn't work but might try it on my squashes as they are psychologically more basic. ;D
Quote from: amphibian on July 26, 2006, 23:00:51
Quote from: OliveOil on July 22, 2006, 16:15:19
has anyone got any photos of butternut squash plants???
I planted loads of seeds of butternuts and other pumpkins, cucs, corgettes and so far only my corgettes are bearing fruit.... all the others have been mixed up due to the bloody chickens pulling off labels etc so i have no idea what is what! Or even if i have any butternuts!
You have chickens I have a four year old, I am gradually relabelling plant as I work out ehat they are, but my squash bed is still largely a mystery.
I also planted my plants way too close, they are now a tangled mass akin to the briar in sleeping beauty, pinchin out is going to be a nightmare as working out which vine is whch is going to be impossible.
My courgettes are in teh middle, doh! They are masters of hiding as it is, but I have to wide through vines upto my waist to delve for the fruits, which are invariably marrow sized when I find them.
We live and learn.
Kids and chickens EH!!!!
I planted mine too far apart - huge gaps all over the squash/courg beds and lots of weeds in between... i found a couple more plants to put in so am trying to fill in the gaps... will know for next time at least.
Kids and OH are away next week so i will have loads of time to myself to sort the lotty out and do weeding, planting and planning!
It's just a guessing game in the end, I think. I have two northern bush pumpkins that are producing nothing but male flowers, and another one that's on a mound with a different type and both have happily produced at least one squash each (the northern bush is at 3 and counting). Then again, I haven't seen a buternut yet! ::) On the other hand, one of the green roundy ones has set 4 squash already and the blue banana is making good progress. I try not to fixate on their progress but can't help it...
fixate away dear-it'll keep you out of trouble!
Quotemight try it on my squashes as they are psychologically more basic
see...clanger-this is the mistake we make-assuming that we are of superior intelligence to squashes....
btw-dont bother planting the pumpkin'ghostrider'
a rather more apt name would be
'Blinkin Boring Aneamic Marrow With Little To Recommend It In The Beauty Stakes....'
granted you'd need a larger seed packet to get it all on........
kitty
My husband picked all my unripe butternut squash today by accident, I sent him to pick the courgettes as I am ill. will they ripen, does annyone know what to do please?
Hi EVG, sorry to hear you're poorly, hope you feel better soon (though the Squash Incident won't help lol)
Treat OH's pickings as funny shaped courgettes - they'll be delicious.
Let the vines continue to grow, and you're sure to get more fruit. You'll just have to wait a little longer.
Can't begin to advise what to do with OH ;) be gentle, I'm sure he meant well ;D
ditto what sprouty said...as for o/h-beat him around the head with a courgette-in my experiance this is a good starting point....
hope you get better soon-horrid to be ill at the best of times but in this heat?
kitty
x
Quote from: amphibian on July 26, 2006, 23:00:51
[My courgettes are in teh middle, doh! They are masters of hiding as it is, but I have to wide through vines upto my waist to delve for the fruits, which are invariably marrow sized when I find them.
:-[ :-[ :P
Have also made note to self for next year's pumpkin patch amphibian
courgettes on the
outside, squash on the
insidedouble d'oh! ;D
Thanks, will see what I can do with green butternuts, it may catch on
that's a brilliant wheeze EVG - hang on, where did I put Fortnum & Mason's phone number? ;D ;D