plant squash now ?

[gingerneil]

I have some summer squash seeds (petty pans) and am eager to get them planted. Can I set them going in a plastic greenhouse thingy in peat pots now, or should I wait a few weeks and plant direct ? Never grown them before....

[Cutecumber]

Whereabouts are you gardening?

I'm in London and I won't be sowing squash and courgette until late March/ April.

So, I would say you are a bit early. Even if you wait a few weeks I would start them in pots, but something larger than a peat pot - at least 3 inch. They grow extremely quickly.

[gingerneil]

ok - thanks. I am in east anglia.
I'm getting itchy green fingers !

[Alison]

Tried a courgette early last year to try to get an early crop keeping it warm in the greenhouse - probably only gained about a week or two and I had to polinate by hand. Not going to bother this year so will be back to standard sowing in April as I normally do.

[Cutecumber]

how early was early, Alison?

[Alison]

Not sure as I haven't got my planting diary to hand but am guessing it was about this time of year as I think it was the same time as my second sowing of peppers which I usually do at the beginning of March.

[zazen999]

I find when you grow them early, they take
yyyyyyooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkkkksssssssssssss [that's yonks].
to actually do anything...so you displace the wait at the beginning to the wait at the end - and get just as frustrated!!!
Mine are all being sown indoors end Mar/beg april and again for a later crop in Early July.

If it is hot and sunny, they grow like monsters; if not they don't do anything and just end up driving you nuts.

It's worth a try though if you really want, I would only waste one seed myself in case the lot rot away...which they do if it is too cold.

Never planted direct, always into 3 inch pots or larger if I am doing mixed vege boxes.

[rustylady]

I certainly won't be sowing mine until at least the end of March.

[Two_Sheds]

Can I set them going in a plastic greenhouse thingy in peat pots now, or should I wait a few weeks and plant direct ?

what does your packet say?

[davefromthechipie]

How many do u plan on growing ? i Plant them once a month .if you have the room . Doing that means starting now shouldnt be a problem ( I put mine in greenhouse 3 days ago) Nothing to loss :P well some seeds and about 10min of your life if they fail...
Last years ones here ! well atleast in the south east did very well planting around this time.

[Paul Wagland]

Oh for a big polytunnel! If I had one I'd be planting squash now I reckon, but I don't know of any varieties that will do well if planted this early otherwise.

[pigletwillie]

I wont be sowing mine until early April, and thats with two big tunnels. They will not tolerate a touch of cold at all and will just sulk in anything less than 10-12 degrees.

[si'sraisedbed]

Hi,
I have limeted space on my plot, has anyone tried growing squash in big pots? If so what type?

[sallym]

Squash in pots

I grew 2 butternut squash in compost bags last year. They went mad, but only got a few small squashes from them. As last year was my first go at growing veg, don't know if poor crop was due to my inexperience or just a bad year. Going to try again this year.

[Cutecumber]

Summer squash and courgettes can crop for you in pots but it's harder to get a decent amount of fruit from a winter squash. They need a lot of soil, food and water.