Allotments 4 All

Last season i grew butternut squash for the 1st time. The plants grew like Triffids but produced very little fruit? should the plants have been pinched out (stopped growing) to help with fruit production? thanks for any help.

Hi, never stop mine and they produce plenty of fruit.

I've been wondering about this..can it be too much nitrogen, do they need a feed, like tomatoes ?..looking forward to replies  :)

No don't pinch them out.

Did you plant them late in the season, perhaps you just ran out of time,the other thing is if they are in the pots too long it tends to stunt them and sometimes it puts them back a good while.

Did you buy the seeds or use them out of a store bought one, sometimes they are unpredictable.

Lastly. how many fruit did you actually get, it may have been right for that plant.


XX Jeannine

i planted out 4 plants grown from a packet of seed. 1 plant produced 3 fruits 1 of which was of a good size, the others were small. The other plants just grew 3/4 fruits all small.The plants started to die off!  i  think you might be correct that i planted them out too late??? thanks Mark.

Hi Gruesome, average  yeild on most varieties of Butternut squash that are  healthy, well grown well fed  and  mature is 4-5  fruit. XX Jeannine

Quote from: Jeannine on June 03, 2007, 18:41:17
the other thing is if they are in the pots too long it tends to stunt them and sometimes it puts them back a good while.

i only just noticed this. o dear, i have planted out six butternuts today which i sowed ages ago and they seemed to stop growing a couple of weeks back but i have only just had the chance to plant them. they are a bit small only three or four small leaves. i think they could definately be described as stunted although they are green and firm. do you think i should hope for the best or do you think i am wasting my time and should just buy some bigger ones? maybe i will do both.

Sarah, don't pull them up, they will probably come back. XX Jeannine

i hope so, thanks jeannine.

Any squash should be given time; they can easily sulk for a bit, but once they start they start in earnest. Give them plenty of water, and warm weather will probably make all the difference.

Hello I am very new to all this so please be patient.

When can you plant Butternut Squash?

Oh and can you grow sweet potatoes in the Uk and if so any advice on how and when would be appreciated.

yes I agree with Jeannine, I planted squash (melon, potimarron, Qld Blue pumpkins, courgette, gherkins) just a few days before all that horrid cold wet weather and I was sure they would die, but lo and behold, this weekend, even if they haven't sprung up, I noticed that there were new buds on the growing tips, even though they have just a few leaves for now and the potimarron is starting to take off. I think they like a sustained burst of hot weather and sun  ;D  bit like us really!!!

Quote from: soliphant on June 05, 2007, 09:04:32
Hello I am very new to all this so please be patient.

When can you plant Butternut Squash?

Oh and can you grow sweet potatoes in the Uk and if so any advice on how and when would be appreciated.

Hiya, soliphant and welcome..butternutsare better going in now, we've planted up 6 we grew from seed but our mate bought some ready grown and has planted his as well
yes, you can grow sweet potatoes in this country, we're expecting some from t&m any day now..if you do search on sweet potatoes at the top of the page there's been much discussion about them  ;D

Thanks manicscousers, I shall try the local garden centres for some plants this weekend.

I shall have to dig somewhere to upt them in first! :-\

if you've got any muck around, sorry, well rotted manure, pile it up somewhere, cover with a piece of black plastic or weed control, cut a cross in it and plant your squash in it  ;D

I planted a squash into a pile of well rotted manure about 2 weeks ago. It went brown and shrivelled up :'( What did I do wrong?

cj :)

talking of well rotted manure?Q. what steams outa cows at 4mph?
A. The Isle of Wight ferry> :)

cj :)

Quote from: carolinej on June 06, 2007, 20:48:27
I planted a squash into a pile of well rotted manure about 2 weeks ago. It went brown and shrivelled up :'( What did I do wrong?

cj :)

we put a mound of compost in the middle of the manure and plant into it..mind you, they do need watering a bit for a few days after planting to settle them in, also, we push an  upturned pop bottle with the bottom cut off in beside them to water into  :)

Please ignore this post I need to find out what all these symbols do

Quote from: gruesome on June 06, 2007, 20:59:31
talking of well rotted manure?Q. what steams outa cows at 4mph?
A. The Isle of Wight ferry> :)

Hope I just inserted a quote...
//Have no idea on this onwhats thiswhats this tooand this
[/shadow][/glow][/i] who knows

Oooh what does this button do?!?

cj :)

Now I like that

I hope you realise what you have started jeannine!

you lot are all barking mad!!

Speak up, Sarah!

 ::) ::) ;D