Butternut squash question

[w33blegurl]

Hi All

I am growing butternut squash for the second year and remembering how huge the plants were last year wondered if it was worth trying something different. I was going to grow them in a 2 sisters type arrangement with the sweetcorn, but in the back of my mind I am sure I heard that squashes quite like to climb. Is this right and if so would I perhaps be better training them upwards to free up some more soil space and if so what sort of structure can they be trained up? Or...have I got this totally wrong?

Cheers!

[ann-the-nan]

Butternut squash question.

I understand from the (very experienced) guy next door that the American Indians has a three sisters arrangement. I think the corn was there for shade and for the squash to climb up. (I may be wrong on the last point), but sorry - can't remember the 3rd. vegetable. Maybe one of the other peeps can.

[bazzaboy]

Yes, the third sister is beans (but you don't want Sister Bean throttling Sister Corn so probably a shorter French one best...). Others intermingle shorter crops that don't need too much direct sun such as salad leaves and spinach. Corn and squash served together feature in a number of recipes so they seem good mates at each stage. b.

[rogesse]

2007 I grew corn and butternut squash in a 2 sisters arrangement. The Butternut plants didn't climb the corn - they grew out horizontally in a determined bid for world domination! The fruit was so heavy and plentiful that the corn plants wouldn't have been able to provide support. I think the third sister (bean) is supposed to grow up the corn but I think I've read somewhere that we don't have the weather/same use of corn for this to work well over here. Growing squash under corn was supposed to deter racoons etc! Last year both my corn and Butternut was pathetic (no summer?) but I will be doing both together this year as it has worked well in the past and it saves space.

[lynda66]

i grew all mine up towers last year, they take up much less room and they all grew and produced well did the same with squash, pumpkins and courgettes, so will do the same this year, they only need a few inches between towers for ventilation then. yu can use anything really canes, branches it was best in a tall pyramid or upright tied with wire in a circle arrangement. tried growing a couple up trellis, but they weren't as successful

[chocobed]

Grew french bean,squash and corn in a three sisters but bad weather stalled the sweetcorn and mildew marked the squash so the beans outgrew the corn and the squahs just came late and spilled out of the bed. Had very few cobs. Starting everything indoors then planting out this year, so eveything goes in at an even starting point.

[raine]

Lynda- I love that idea -do you have to support the squashes or are they alright on their own?

[Phreddy]

I understand from the (very experienced) guy next door that the American Indians has a three sisters arrangement.

Loads of people try this arrangement and loads fail, incl yours truly. One answer might be that it needs to be 'Indian' beans, Cherokee perhaps. Also squash is not a climber. You need to tie it in! Don't worry about the weight of the fruit the stem will grow to hold it!

I have given it up as a bad job and will grow my squash like Linda66.
My trouble is that by the time that they are mature I am leaving the country. This year I have seed from a 2lb squash with yellow flesh, teardrop shape rather like a williams pear.

The Square Foot man also suggests growing them up a fence or similar

[lynda66]

Lynda- I love that idea -do you have to support the squashes or are they alright on their own?

i did have one of those tower things for ornamentals that worked brilliantly and was definitely the best, i didn't have butternuts but the other squashes were fine supporting themselves i guess it depends how big you let them grow

[Victoria26]

I have a butternut plant I was gonna put in a large pot - You say it gets huge But how big does it get??