I have a south-facing raised area at the bottom of the garden where I dumped
the soil dug out of a massive pond. Until now I have used it to grow nettles
and Buddleja for the butterflies. It also hides the compost heaps.
I planted a couple of butternut squash plants there in May that I had raised
in the greenhouse. I'd never grown them before, so didn't know what to
expect.

After a couple of weeks they looked really sick and I decided to write them
off.

In July something suddenly appeared growing half-way up a Harlequin
Buddleja. It was one of the squash plants gone mad! It spread across an area
about 10ft square, climbed the fence and up into the buddleja. Now it has
seventeen squashes in various stages of growth with three full size and just
beginning to ripen.
Is this typical, or is it a fluke result of the fantastic summer we've had?

In article ,
Peter Goddard wrote:
I have a south-facing raised area at the bottom of the garden where I dumped
the soil dug out of a massive pond. Until now I have used it to grow nettles
and Buddleja for the butterflies. It also hides the compost heaps.
I planted a couple of butternut squash plants there in May that I had raised
in the greenhouse. I'd never grown them before, so didn't know what to
expect.

After a couple of weeks they looked really sick and I decided to write them
off.

In July something suddenly appeared growing half-way up a Harlequin
Buddleja. It was one of the squash plants gone mad! It spread across an area
about 10ft square, climbed the fence and up into the buddleja. Now it has
seventeen squashes in various stages of growth with three full size and just
beginning to ripen.
Is this typical, or is it a fluke result of the fantastic summer we've had?

The latter. The growth is a typical response to warm weather (always
provided that the plant has established its root system by then), but
the problem is we normally get only a couple of weeks of it, spread
erratically over the 2 months of our 'summer'. That isn't enough to
get warmth-loving cucurbits to do more than grow, so they usually
set fruit badly and ripen it very poorly or not at all.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 07:51:27 +0100, "Peter Goddard"
wrote:

~I have a south-facing raised area at the bottom of the garden where I dumped
~the soil dug out of a massive pond. Until now I have used it to grow nettles
~and Buddleja for the butterflies. It also hides the compost heaps.
~I planted a couple of butternut squash plants there in May that I had raised
~in the greenhouse. I'd never grown them before, so didn't know what to
~expect.
~
~After a couple of weeks they looked really sick and I decided to write them
~off.
~
~In July something suddenly appeared growing half-way up a Harlequin
~Buddleja. It was one of the squash plants gone mad! It spread across an area
~about 10ft square, climbed the fence and up into the buddleja. Now it has
~seventeen squashes in various stages of growth with three full size and just
~beginning to ripen.
~Is this typical, or is it a fluke result of the fantastic summer we've had?
~
~
I think it's typical for butternuts in a hot situation.

I've grown them for the first time this year, and it's been a hoot.
The first one that germinated shot off like a rocket, and was about 2'
high by mid-May. Didn't put it out for fear of frost so popped it in a
12" pot instead. Two weeks later it was too big to move out of the
north-facing conservatory I use as a greenhouse. I trained it up the
walls like I do cucumbers, and I soon had my first mature squash,
despite having had no male flowers! It still covers 2.5 sq yds of
window and is currently on its fifth squash, not as impressive as
yours but considering its pot size compared with the root run yours
must have, and a visit from red spider mites, it's not doing too
badly! Another one is outside growing through the sweetcorn, and has
grown just one fruit. This germinated somewhat later - I think this is
the key. Early sowings get more light and therefore grow faster and
larger.

I suspect you'd be best to cull the smallest fruits so more can ripen,
now the temperatures are dropping.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

In article ,
(Peter Goddard) wrote:

It spread across an area
about 10ft square, climbed the fence

Any clues on how to get cucurbits growing in the "right" direction? Mine
have grown towards the sun which naturally is away from the wall I'd
like them to grow up.

Thanks!

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

In article , (Steve Harris) writes:
| In article ,
| (Peter Goddard) wrote:
|
| It spread across an area
| about 10ft square, climbed the fence
|
| Any clues on how to get cucurbits growing in the "right" direction? Mine
| have grown towards the sun which naturally is away from the wall I'd
| like them to grow up.

Gently move them and/or tie them up like any other climber. They
are nearly as perverse as nasturtiums, I agree :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Peter Goddard) wrote:

It spread across an area
about 10ft square, climbed the fence

Any clues on how to get cucurbits growing in the "right" direction? Mine
have grown towards the sun which naturally is away from the wall I'd
like them to grow up.

Thanks!

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

I haven't tried this myself but apparently they will grow away from the
first true leaf. so plant your seed in a pot, wait for the first real leaf
( not the seed leaves ) and point that away from where you want it to grow.
I heard this in an interview with a specialist who grew them for
competitions so I guess he knew what he was talking about.

Martin