Will my squash fatten up?

[amandaandherveg]

I have a few Sweet Dumpling and Golden Nuggets on the go, which should yield grapefruit size squash from bush type plants. At the moment they are ping pong ball sized, do they stand a chance?

I also have 2 Marinia Di Chioggia squash which are romping away and have started flowering but no fruit set yet. Should I hold out any hope for these?

This has been my first year growing and I've really, really loved it and I've learnt so much from the all the Grapes here, but the weather really has been against us, especially all the rain.

[Alice]

Amanda, I think the fate of your squash depends on the weather. They definately do much better in fine weather - grow in front of your eyes. When we have this wet rubbish they don't get fertilised properly and the fruits don't swell.
My little Patti Pan squash were great earlier in the year when the sun was shining but now they're just sitting there. I hope the sun shines for you and me both.

[amandaandherveg]

Thanks for that Alice. Ever the optimist I just checked the weather forecast, suposedly sunny here from tomorrow for 4 days, excellent.

[bluemoon]

I was wondering this too. I have some largish ones, but some are small and don't seem to be doing much. I've thinned them to two or three per plant, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed for the sun, shall I?

[amandaandherveg]

Ooh, bluemoon, thinning. My bush type squash have heaps and heaps of small fruit. I wonder I should take a few off too?

[Maf]

I was going to ask the same question. Is it a sun issue, a temp issue or both ?

I'm up in the chilly yorkshire dales. Would fleece help (by maintaining temp) or hinder (by reducing light) ?

[deezyb]

hi all - having the same problem with my squash also! I'm sure I read somewhere that the larger type squash should have their growing tip pinched to encourage more fruit, which I did...I got one squash, now peeled and in freezer - the rest of the plant has died off I've got another squash (name unknown) which has lots of fruits, ping pong ball sized, and one large sized fruit on the same plant! I don't want to pinch the growing tip or thin them due to failure of the previous squash!

They need sun and heat I do believe, which we don't have an abundance of here in this part of the world...unfortunately!

It's a game of patience, this veg growing lark I think

D

[lynda66]

i've just got my first 2 flowers open on my courgette plant, and all my squash, and pumpkins are producing flower buds, i'm not giving up hope yet, theres another couple of months of the possibility of sunshine, and i'm determined to get something on them, even if i have to cover them and put a grow light and a radiator with them.

[Demeter]

I've been hand-pollinating melons today cos there are just no insects about, or hardly any and even fewer in the greenhouse. Out of 4 plants I have 2 small melons at the moment (both on the same plant) so I'm hoping to get a few more set and then some sunshine to help them grow big and yummy! I plant to restrict them to 2 per plant as otherwise I don't think there's any hope of ripe fruit this year!

[amandaandherveg]

The forecast here is for sun tomorrow (gasp). I'm going to have a proper nose around to see what's what. I have the feeling that all the flowers are female.

[Demeter]

Yes I felt that way when I was looking for a male flower to do the pollinating with!! I did find a few in the end though...

[lynda66]

all my flowers are female so far, but the male ones aren't far behind, i love the way theres a baby behind the flower, they are so cute

[Two_Sheds]

Squash in Scotland? you'll be lucky!

well, you might be

My Golden Nuggets were rubbish last year, but this year we had a bit more sun at the right time (July) and they're grapefruit size and orange. My Mars pumpkin look good too, but my Butternuts probably won't be... they're too little and not ripening now that the sun has disappeared.

[realfood]

Yes, squash are possible in Scotland, even in this cool and wet year!
Summer squash are easy. Winter squash of the pumpkin type, such as red kuri, are a bit more difficult but several varieties have done quite well for me this year.
Butternuts are much more difficult as Butternuts have unfortunately been mostly derived from Cucurbita moschata, which prefers hotter summers than are routinely likely for much of the UK. Therefore, even though new varieties, specially bred for the UK climate, are becoming available, it is still extremely difficult to grow mature, hardened-off butternuts in the North of the UK.
This summer, I have been trialling three of the Butternut varieties bred in the UK. The ones grown in the open have not set a fruit yet. I have also grown them under a Lidle cloche and all three varieties have set fruit.
It just shows what a little extra protection can do.

[Alice]

[QUOTE=Two_Sheds;275207]Squash in Scotland? you'll be lucky!


No, Two Sheds , Squash can be grown in Scotland. My Patti Pans were good in July before this rubbish rain started and in previous years I've had good Butternuts. See some here