Any help please!!! This is the 1st time I 've grown Squash from seed!! They were doing really well until a couple of days ago the leaves started to have mildew!! When watering I never wet the leaves! (http://19.04.10%20002)
Are you keeping them covered in a damp atmosphere?
Butternuts hate cold with a passion.... worst case scenario for them ATM would be sat in an unheated propagator in an unheated greenhouse...... I'll be sowing mine next week and I espect once they're up to be pulling them from the GH into the kitchen overnight for a couple of weeks after they're up.....
chrisc
Quote from: chriscross1966 on April 19, 2010, 13:14:29
Butternuts hate cold with a passion.... worst case scenario for them ATM would be sat in an unheated propagator in an unheated greenhouse.
Funnily enough, that's exactly how mine are being kept. I started them off a month ago too and although there are some traces of white colouration on the leaves, they're all growing very healthily. I'm aiming for a bumper harvest with them as I prefer them to spuds.
Quote from: happydiggers on April 19, 2010, 09:13:36
Any help please!!! This is the 1st time I 've grown Squash from seed!! They were doing really well until a couple of days ago the leaves started to have mildew!! When watering I never wet the leaves! (http://19.04.10%20002)
A weak solution of milk and water is meant to help get rid of the mildew, just brush it on.
Neil
Mine were all sown in the propagator about 6 weeks ago and then potted on into 6" pots about 8 days ago. They're all doing perfectly fine sitting out in the open in my unheated greenhouse - mind you is was about 90 in there at the weekend and the cabbage seedlings in the direct sun were all wilting badly.
oops I was so determined not to sow too early as usual.I think I'm a bit late :('Sowed yesterday) they are in a heated propogater so fingers crossed. :-\
I'm not sowing mine till next week, won't plant out till early June....
I once was told that squashes and courgettes etc like a temperature of more than 7 degrees even at night. I have a few cooking nicely on a south facing windowsill. Sowed a few more a few days ago and they are on top of the radiator during the evening and in the window during the day.
Quote from: chriscross1966 on April 19, 2010, 23:59:48
I'm not sowing mine till next week, won't plant out till early June....
Same here.
Mecheck are promising warmer weather so I'm hanging on with mine. Meanwhile I'm starting beans and corn.
To get back to happydiggers squash.. how old are the seedlings..is it a mould, is it in the soil as well as the plants .. more info please XX Jeannine
Hi jeanine !! seeds are a year old and now the squash back inside as we had them at one stage in the garden
I meant how old are the seedlings, the little plants you have? Are they better now in the house? Do you need help what do next? Potting on to bigger pots etc,
XX Jeannine
lol.. sorry.. there about 4weeks old now... getting small new leaves on them... the bigger older leavers .when you rub your fingers together with the leave it just turns to white kinda power... i would love any help with them.as only had lottie for 1yr and never grow them before.... many thankxss.
Hi, the first 2 leaves that pop out when they germinate are not true leaves..won't bore you with names of them at this point.. anyway the next leaves that come out will take on the shape of the plant that is growing, the first two leaves usually drop off pretty quick..so I think that is where you think you have a problem, and I don't think you do. If the worry was just about those first two leaves then stop worrying, the new leaves coming through should be green and if they are all is well, they will quickly be followed my more of the same. For now just keep them warm...not hot..damp but not wet and give them as much light as you can. I forget what size pots you have them planted in..tell me and I can tell you the next thing to do.
You are doing just fine :D
XX Jeannine
thanks jeannine.. :)
you were right about the leaves they were the first to appear!! the second lot of leaves look much healthier.
they are on a sunny window seal we'll keep them moist. The pots they are in are 3.5 inches.
Once again many thanks ....
I'd try adn get them into 5" or bigger opts as soon as the next leaf appaears.... squash doesn't like to get cramped..... one reason for not sowing too early is you can end up with them in 12" pots before they go in and with 20 plants that's a lot of compost (and a fiar old weight to move around when they're hardening off..
chrisc
Chris is absolutely right, I have ended up with mine in buckets by planning very early, so you need to pot them on .XX Jeannine
cheers guys.... iam onto it right away.... thanks for the advice...
This is also my first year at attempting to grow buttersquash but I have a quick question too.
How many fruits generally grow per plant and do they grow vertically or trail across the ground?
CC
Bump, cos I'd like to know too ;D
you can get 6-10 fruits
as for grow vertically or trail across the ground?
they always trail across ground unless you train them up a trellis of some sort.
My experince is that you get smaller fruit if you tie them up vertically,
Think in terms of 4 or 5..some are more prolific than others and you can get more in a good long summer. Regarding trailing etc, that depends on the variety, not all Butternut varieties trail..bear in mind there are many varieties of just Butternut squash alone. If you can tell me it's name I can tell you wether it will vine, semi vine or grow in a bush,you can't raise a bush type to grow upright!!
Take alook on you packet and get back to me,
XX Jeannine
Also, based on my experience with butternuts alone last year: well-prepared, rich soil produces more and bigger squash. Also full-sun vrs. part shade.