Squash growing, advice needed please

Hi all,

Im growing three types of squash: Sweet Dumpling, Honey Bear, Uckiki Kuri. I have a few question to ask, but any further advice muchly appreciated.

1) Ive got quite a few Kuri fruit forming on one plant; and a couple of Sweet Dumpling fruit growing on another.. When I grew squash last I remember someone saying to limit each plant to about 3 or 4 fruit, to allow them to mature right. How many Kuri should I let form (theyre smaller than Crown Prince that I grew last year) and Sweet Dumpling?

2) How do I know when to harvest (do all the elaves die back?).

3) Ive got a spare plant which is sat in a big container. I have a pile semi-mature manure, so Im thinking about just sticking the plant in the pile of semi-rotted manure rather than letting it die in its container. (Ive got no other space for it in the ground). Is that a waste of time or do you think it will grown ok?

4) The squash are in my veg beds which gets the full sun each day. I water the beds every day, but perhaps Im over watering. Do squash get on ok if their roots dry out a bit? I suppose their big leaves are covering the soil from the sun, so perhaps the soil is not dry as I think it gets.


Thanks

 

1) not sure myself - I'll be interested in the replies you get
2) I tend to leave them till as late as possible to get the most growth - but before any danger of frost
3) Go for it - nothing to lose, and it'll love all that food
4) Better to water more thoroughly but less often, so the water gets down deeper to encourage deeper root growth, but it's not constantly in a swamp. Something like a full can or two of water every 3 days or so for each plant, if it's really hot and dry. You could also mulch around the plants with that semi-mature manure to slow evaporation.
The leaves will become alarmingly soft and droopy on very hot days, but I don't think it's anything to worry about, they are preserving water and quickly recover.

 

Certainly plant your spare in the heap of compost. It will love it.
All squash need a lot of water as their leaves are so big, and the fruit is made up of mainly water so a couple of cans of water, every 2/3 days minimum for each plant.
Harvest squash when you want them. Some can be cut in autumn and stored for use during the winter.