Butternut squash

[The amateur]

thanks for the advise everyone!

[djhs196]

I grew a butternut for the first time this year, but came across this site in doing some research:

Liverpool Allotment

It's got a couple of years' progress reports of doing things slightly differently each time - 2006 / 2007 / 2008 - hope it helps

[allaboutliverpool]

Imagine my surprise when I spotted that there had been links to my site via
the above reply.

Further to my page, I am only going to grow 4 plants this year as they are so easy to grow that I cannot eat the stored crop.

Do have a go, this summer was supposedly poor,yet my outside plant was fantastic, unwatered and not fed!

How to grow Butternut Squash - in pictures

[zazen999]

Hi Allaboutliverpool.

Not sure if you are staying, but that link is great. I am just settling down to bubble and squeak for brekkie and am going to have a good look through your website.

I'm sure we'd all love you to stay and share all that knowledge with the forum.

So welcome.

[Bren In Pots]

Thanks for your link Allaboutliverpool, just shows what a difference growing under those polythene cloches/beds made to the final crop.

[djhs196]

Allaboutliverpool - lol - it's a great page, came in handy.

[Alice]

What can I say, Allabout Liverpool. Just absolutely fabulous place you have there - and all down to your own work and expertise. Congratultions on a suberb job.
Thank you for sharing it with us and hope you'll be sticking around to help.

[gridgardener]

When a pkt's instructions say to plant "in hills" this does not necessarily mean that one has to mound up soil. It's a reference to a planting pattern rather than "altitude." When it refers to a hill of squash, for instance, It simply means that I planted a couple seeds together in one place,

[BrideXIII]

so you don't have to live in the malverns?

[The amateur]

well I planted some butternut squash seeds, summer and winter squash and pupkins in a propogator and they are starting to grow :-) I've bought myself a plasticy greenhouse thing and I'm going to start putting them there when the plants are a bit bigger. Any ideas when?

[maytreefrannie]

I moved mine out to a small plastic growhouse a few days ago, but I'm not sure if they'll be warm enough, so I cover with fleece at night. Also, I have some polystyrene plates under them, hoping to preserve heat (again, not sure if I'm right or wrong about this).

I've opened the zipper when we've had sun (only one day since they've gone out) and of course closed it up again in the evening.

So far, they are doing fine, but not sure if it's recommended to put them out yet, check frost predictions for your area.

[Jameslovell]

Can't remember where I read this, but if you put a pallet next to the plant, tilted up to about 30degrees and grow the butternut swuash up it. This way it catches more sun and grows better.
Anyone else heard of this or even tried it?

[Herbie]

I think I saw a similar example of this on the BIG DIG programme. Worked very well, the squash grew up and over the pallets and were supported. I think they did this to hide the compost bin or they grew it in the top of the bin and up the pallet. Good idea