butternut squash

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by ellenw, Jun 8, 2008.

  1. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    hello
    A friend of mine gave me 2 butternut squash plants and they are currently in big pots.
    Im concerned they will run out of space tho and wnat to move them to my little raised bed...

    a couple of questions tho...
    Is it too late for me to move them? the plants have got quite big and have several "arms" coming out of the main bit (can you tell I have no idea what im talking about!!:eek:)

    Should I be doing anything with these "arms"? I seem to remember reading somewhere something about pinching them off?

    And how much space does a butter nut squash plant really need??

    Thanks in advance to all answers!
    Els
     
    ellenw, Jun 8, 2008
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  2. Veg-and-flower-man

    Veg-and-flower-man Gardener

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    no, they can be planted into a raised bed. Plant them a good space apart as they grow very large depending on variety. Let these 'arms' trail malong as they will bear the butternuts

    water them and feed them regularly.
     
    Veg-and-flower-man, Jun 8, 2008
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  3. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Butternut squash need as much space as you can allow them. If the weather is right and they have plenty of water they can cover a lot of ground. Two years ago (during the drought) I let them do their own thing and tried to water them enough. Four plants covered nearly 400 sq ft :eek:. I got almost 100lbs of squash from them.

    Just let yours grow to fill the available area and then cut off the main running tip. As V&F Man says, the arms will have the fruit so try and keep as much of them as possible. It's a bit like tomatos when you pinch out the main stem and let the side arms have the flowering trusses - it just runs along the ground instead of growing upwards. (That's a bit of a simplification but gets the idea across - I hope :))

    Good luck. :)
     
    shiney, Jun 10, 2008
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  4. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    thx for the info.
    im not sure im gonna have enough room for 2 plants then!
    might need to donate one to a neighbour! lol!
    ive only got a small patch.
    its a shame as i love roasted butternut squash!
    thx again!
     
    ellenw, Jun 10, 2008
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  5. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    Had another thought about the butternut squashes... if I grow them in a decent size container and build a kind of table for the plant to grow along would this be ok?

    I know it sounds a bit daft but I really dont think Ive got the space to grow them otherwise and they are doing so well so far in their pots and I love butternut squash!!

    Thank you!!
     
    ellenw, Jun 10, 2008
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  6. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Seems a reasonable idea but they will need a lot of watering when they get bigger.
     
    shiney, Jun 11, 2008
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  7. Dave W

    Dave W Total Gardener

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    To save space last year I made a circular support about 3 feet in diameter and 4 feet high out of a section of stiff fence wire and trained the runners round and up it.
     
    Dave W, Jun 11, 2008
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  8. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    brilliant! :D
    thanks for the info guys, im going to try making some kind of support then with the grow bag trays i have from last year! fingers crossed it'll work! will let you know! and i'll make sure to water and feed well!
    x
     
    ellenw, Jun 11, 2008
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  9. midnightrose

    midnightrose Gardener

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    Don't forget to water and feed the plants as well! ;)
     
    midnightrose, Jun 11, 2008
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  10. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    midnightrose, :D :D :D
     
    shiney, Jun 11, 2008
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  11. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    :D:D :D:D:D:D
     
    ellenw, Jun 11, 2008
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  12. ellenw

    ellenw Gardener

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    hello all
    the squash is growing really well, im sure if I just stared at it for a bit I would see it growing real time! :D
    anyhows, my little raised platform for it to grow along out of the container seems to be working so far but think they will outgrow that soon!
    Shiney, you mention cutting of the tip.... now I know it sounds pretty obvious but want to check... do I litterally just cut the end off where I dont want it to grow any further or do I need to cut in a specific place, like after one of the trusses..?? :confused:
    Thx
     
    ellenw, Jun 20, 2008
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  13. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Nothing fussy. Just give it the snip anywhere :D
     
    shiney, Jun 20, 2008
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