'climbing frame' for butternut

[queen of the cobs]

Dear All,

I really hope that you can help - last year I tried to make a frame for my butternut to climb up as I wanted to try and save a bit of space. I really didn't realise how big they got and eventually the frame collapsed. This year I have got a few bits of 2 by 4 and thought I'd try and make something a little sturdier. Do you think nailing it together will work? (Rather than tying, I mean). And has anyone got any pictures of anything they've done in a similar style?

many thanks.
QoC

[Cutecumber]

I'm not sure that nailing is going to work - you'll need to screw the pieces together to stop them coming apart.

Are you thinking of a ladder shape or what?

[veg4681]

Good question. I myself need to think of ways to minimise space usage. I shall be growing winter squashes in large containers and so far I like the idea of letting them sprawl on top of the hedge. I also have both low and high hedge, on the latter I'm thinking of placing the pot on top of bricked up compost area with planks over as temporary table. I have a large, low shed with generous roof space but it's slopping a bit so probably not stable enough for butternut to roll over . I'm not sure about supporting frames though, how hard would it be to find a sensible built quality and price.

[queen of the cobs]

I'm not sure that nailing is going to work - you'll need to screw the pieces together to stop them coming apart.

This is what I was worried about - they get so big and heavy.

Are you thinking of a ladder shape or what?

Last year I had 4 posts in a square with 2 layers of horizontal canes.

[Alison C]

I've bought a plastic mini greanhouse which is a meter and a half square and I'm planning the grow my peppers, tomatoes, courgettes and butternut squash in it in growbags. My problem at the mo is coming up with an idea to support everything and stop the greenhouse blowing off. Plus the greenhouse will be on a soild surface so I wont have the luxury of driving canes in deep to the soil to keep them sturdy! Oh and it has to be cheap.
Its a hard one!

[vegnut]

I heard somewhere, by word of mouth, that building a triangle or pyramid for them to scramble over, gives them a larger area of growth without taking up a lot of ground. Don't know about the dimensions, i never got round to ask. But it's just a thought, as it's an easy structure to knock together and very strong

[queen of the cobs]

I don't think you'll be able to keep your courgettes and squash in the mini greenhouse for long. My courgettes took uo about 70 square cm when they were fully grown, and the squash grew to over 15 feet. Or did you mean just to start them off in?

hmm. it's a tricky one to keep it down though - you might just have to hope we don't get a strong wind!

[vicky]

I've grown squashes over a shop bought metal 'archway' very successfully (apart from when you walk through and bash your head!) It was about £30 but of course lasts years and looks really nice - one of the 'gothic' style ones

[Seahorse]

I don't know if looking at it 'the other way round' is any help? Last year I planted butternuts in a wheelbarrow and encouraged them to grow round the whole perimeter of the barrow, then down onto the ground.

[queen of the cobs]

did people pinch out the ends? I found they would just grow and grow and grow and grow...

[Alison C]

Originally posted by queen of the cobs
I don't think you'll be able to keep your courgettes and squash in the mini greenhouse for long. My courgettes took uo about 70 square cm when they were fully grown, and the squash grew to over 15 feet. Or did you mean just to start them off in?

I was hoping to save ground room by training them up a climing frame and that is my dilema, I need to build something sturdy enough to cope with the weight. I think my woodwork skills may have to be brought out of retirement.
Do you think its rude when you see some wood in a skip to ask the house owner if you can have it?

[Paulottie]

No, it would not be rude to salvage timber- if you ask first.

The thing you are missing is bracing- the diagonal bits

Yes you can pinch out the tips.

[TonyF]

You can grow any of the curbaceous (sp?) family up supports as they were originally vines (so I read). This year I'm growing some of my squashes on the fruit tunnel which will give them lots of support and the canteloup melons are going into the fruit cage (as an experiment, I have some room for this sort of thing and saw something similar at Wisley a few years ago) and I'm going to grow them up frames.

The melons will be grown up a very strong A frame, made from the thicker bamboo we cut at a chum's, with very hefty bamboo cross framing for stability.

We have all out soft fruit and climbing veggies planted up in boxes that I make from decking (with extra preservative for longer life) because we have to strim the potager (can't get a mower round it) and it protects the base of the plants. The melons etc are grown in long raised beds, initially dug over, lots of well rotted leaf mould dug in, then topped off with bagged compost and bark chippings to help prevent evaporation.

[Sue]

I like the idea of using a wheelbarrow, I happen to have a redundant wheelbarrow...
Like Tony F I also read somewhere that you can train them round and round in circles to keep them from sprawling everywhere. I seem to remember you just needed to keep putting sticks in to do the circle training.
Sue

[Bren In Pots]

Last year I grew my butternuts leaned up against a trailer that I'd fastened some netting to.
There's a photo here, and I was hoping to do the same thing this year but have been told 'we' might need to use the trailer this year instead