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
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
Thank you so much Tricia, you have inspired me and enabled me to free up some precious space
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
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!
I'm beginning to get a bit worried :tongue3:. 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 :happy7:.
Tricia