Squash questions

[Lesley Jay]

Amanda knowing just how big squash and courgette plants grow I would never use them interplanted with any other crop. I set a large area aside for them. As for planting - I just plant them as you would any other plant and put some growmore around the plants.

[Nicos]

I plant them on their own although I understand that they grow well under sweetcorn, but I think you are meant to plant them at the same time.
As for the depth,maybe the depth of the hole is to accommodate compost /manure ??? We dig down a good spades depth and mix in well rotted manure (about 50/50) with the already manured soil, leaving a mound to plant the seedlings in. Just like tomatoes, they will root from their stems ,so if planted deeply you will prevent damage from wind rock. We also leave a little hollow around the stem at the top of the mound for watering and feeding the plants.

[lyndap]

I plant my squashes deep,same as Nicos for same reasons and in their own bed. I do plant my courgettes with my sweetcorn and they seem to grow really well together.My beds are about 4ftx11ft and I grow 15 sweetcorn plants + 3 courgettes in each bed. Very occasionally 1 of the courgettes will try and escape from the bed but I just cut it back abit!

[plot 11 pam]

dear all,
i've been advised to grow squash on top of compost heap or make a hot spot for them by digging down two feet and piling manure into it cover over making a mound. keep them warm and mulched. everyones advice about pinching out, trailing and a dedicated bed is great.

[Clarea1]

I have started off butternut squash and winter carnival, can either of these grow in pots does anyone know?

[Doggler]

I'm really going to have to pay more attention to the seed packets when I buy them. I've just germinated some Avalon and the plan was to grow them in pots (as all my other veggies). From the sounds of all this advice my b&q bucket's not going to be big enough, is it? HELP!

[Lesley Jay]

Doggler the bucket will be big enough for the plants roots to grow in. The Avalon squash is a trailer so you could plant it in the bucket and let it trail across the ground or plant it in a grow bag. I wonder if the stem of the plant might get worn or cut on the edge of the bucket?

[Doggler]

Thanks LJ. One squash per growbag? Might have to donate some of my seedlings to the folks at work. I've got six. Not sure how many squashes you get off one plant but I'm sure that's too many. Especially as the OH doesn't even like it!

[Lesley Jay]

The number of squashes per plant will all depend on the weather. We had a miserable summer last year (I think our allotment is under a permament cloud) and only got a few Avalon squashes but we had plenty of other squashes - Festival and Sweet Dumpling. I think I might have grown a few plants too many this year as well. I have Cobnut, Crown Prince, Metro, Sweet Dumpling and Harlequin.

[allotment gal]

I have started Avalon this year and one called "Barbara" does anyone know what they are like (the Barbara one)?

We let them have their own way last year and they nearly reached the other side of the allotment but this year we are going to try and contain them a bit with chicken wire and wooden stakes a fence effect thing. We usually plant marrows and courgettes alongside them and the kids enjoy picking there way through the unruly mass of foliage and finding various amounts of 3 different things to pick.