Sowing all things Cucurbit - 2019

[Deltawhiskey]

Growing Cucamelons again this year. Looks like a grape sized watermelon. Tastes like cucumber spiced with lime. Five plants last year and I was giving them away by the bucket load.

[Dead Dogs]

My to grow list, cucurbit wise, is...

Cucumber - Socrates and Louisa
Courgette - Atena
Squash - Spaghetti and Hunter (Butternut)
Melon - Rugoso di Cosenza giallo

[Small pumpkin]

I was going to try these!
Has anyone had any success with pattypan squash?

I've grown them, growing them again this year. I like them. Just treat them like a courgette (growing and in the kitchen). They do fine for me........usually.

[Snoop Puss]

No trombas for me this year. They didn't do all that well here - too hot maybe? Sorry guys, but I will be following the thread for the laughs.

Cucumber
La Diva - recommended by Bikermike I think. Got some lemon cuc seeds as a gift, but not sure if I'll bother, as Mr Snoop not a cuc fan.

Courgettes
Soleil (yellow) and Black Beauty (green)

Melons
Emir and Ogen definitely, possibly Antalya or Arava if I have enough room

Squash
Buffy Ball, Barbara butternut, squat butternut (no name on packet, just small butternut with no waist written in Catalan) and Confection (Crown Prince type, but smaller at 2-3 kg apiece, which is still more than enough for us).

Always wanted to try Crown Prince, but they're too big for us, so hoping this will be a goodie. Not sure why I wanted to grow Buffy Ball last year. Bought the seeds and never grew them. So, they're on the list for this year, but probably too small to be useful. Can't seriously see myself making soup and serving it in them... Mr Snoop will complain about the dangers of hot soup in a round-bottomed container, and if I slice off the bottom, I'm sure to cut off too much and the soup will leak out. Anyone grown these? Maybe just slice in half and stuff them?

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Does anyone know the minimum germination temperature and minimum growing temperature of squashes, courgettes and pumpkins?

[veggiechicken]

Look at the chart in https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ion_93787.html
It has cucumbers and melons which need much the same conditions.

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Look at the chart in https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ion_93787.html
It has cucumbers and melons which need much the same conditions.

Ta very much

[veggiechicken]

I find that chart so useful i've printed it off and have it stuck to the door of my seed cupboard.
Stops me panicking about a long wait for germination!

[MyWifesBrassicas]

I find that chart so useful i've printed it off and have it stuck to the door of my seed cupboard.
Stops me panicking about a long wait for germination!

my squashes are germinating at different rates in my propagator in an unlit garage. I've no room to grow them on in the house, so they're down at my allotment sat on my wood chip "hot bed" which is now beginning to cool after 2 months. Deep in the wood chip its 45 C, but on the surface it around 12-15. They're covered with a purpose built mini poly cloche, I thinking they're gonna be alright for the next couple of months if the wood stays warm

[MyWifesBrassicas]

Am I right in thinking that if I can keep them frost free, then they'll be fine?

[veggiechicken]

I work on 10C as the minimum temperature for tomatoes and cucurbits. that's air temperature, not soil - although my experimental courgettes and cues in the GH are dropping below that overnight at the moment

[Birdie Wife]

No Tromba for me this year, they were so prolific last year and there's only the two of us, so we are now heartily sick of the sight of them!! I think I exhausted every recipe in the book, and gave lots away as well.

So - Squash Delicata, Courgette Atena Polka F1 and hopefully Cucumber Marketmore 76 this year.

[Mudsweatandtea]

The plan so far is to start everything mid April, then transfer them to the upright cold frame inside the greenhouse. This seems to stop them frosting even if we have a sudden temperature drop. Worked really well last year so giving it a bash again.
The list so far includes:

Mixed scallop squash
Courgette black beauty
Trombetta

Galeux d'eysines
Thelma Sanders sweet potato
New England sugar pie
Honeyboat delicata
Jack be little

Plan to interplant the ones in the front garden with nasturtiums to draw in the bees maybe a couple of Tom's if there's space

[Aunty Social]

Thanks to the supplier I found on eBay, I will no longer be a courgette virgin. Attempting two in our greenhouse-like utility room, one yellow F1 whose name escapes me and a Black Beauty. These to accompany lemon cucumber and Spacemaster 80 which sounds like a cucumber named after Leonard Nimoy.

[annie8]

Am just growing a couple of courgettes - they produce enough for me and the family. Trying a new round one - de ronde nice(?) or something like that. Took advice from this forum so looking forward to trying them. The seeds have just germinated and poppies through this morning. Also got a few cucumber seedlings on the go - think it was called King. Don’t like cucumber but my son does.