Well my three squash plants have done for more than I could have expected of them. Like most others I have lost lots of veg due to the weather. As this is my first year it has given me a bit of a boost, but I am really wondering what to do next. I have attached a picture of what should be three beds but swamped by the squashes, and of a small part of the underneath.
They seem to be managing well by themselves so should I just leave them alone? The 'fruit' varies from 4" long to just budding. From this stage how long until harvest, and what weather (ah-hum) should I hope for?
I am by no means an expert, Jeannine will come along soon and tell you what you should do, but I will tell you what I do at about this time of year. There isn't really long enough now for any decent sized fruits on those types of squashes, so I start trimming them back. I find any stems with no fruit or flowers and cut them right off back at the main stem. I also find the fruits and work along the stem. Once I get to the last growing fruitlet, so not a still to be pollinated fruit, I cut the stem. My theory is all of the plants energy will now go into the growing fruits and not supporting a monster plant. I also remove a few leaves around the fruits to let the sun (huh, yeah okay) onto the developing fruits. So, what my ramblings are saying is I remove all excess growth now leaving just the main plant with fruits on. Any fruit that are really small, I would be inclined to nip them off. Of course, I don't mean this on things like courgettes, cucumbers, pattypans and marrows. I mean pumpkins and larger squashes.
I don't trim foliage off mine because reducing leaf area by pruning diminishies yeild and quality,so my advice would be no unless you are aiming for a giant world beater specimin, also good foliage supresses weeds.I prune off defective squash and those that are not going to make it through to maturity about this time of the year, but that is all. You can use the prunings like courgettes even if they are very tiny. Hope for weather that is dry and warm. Harvest them when the vines have died off. XX Jeannine