Obsessed with squashes

[dinky_doo]

hi hopefully will be growing some squash next year
will they grow up a wigwam ?
just thinking of saving a little space

[pickledtink]

hi hopefully will be growing some squash next year
will they grow up a wigwam ?
just thinking of saving a little space

Most will but you'll need a really strong sturdy contraption to support the weight then you need to make slings for the fruit if they're biggish.
I was recently poodling around Rudyard Kiplings gardens at Batemans and they had big Butternuts growing on a frame but it was metal so very strong. The fruit were just hanging free though.

[Peta]

hi hopefully will be growing some squash next year
will they grow up a wigwam ?
just thinking of saving a little space

Dinky Doo - I grew only a few plants this year, which took up an amazing amount of space, and they spread onto the paths around my raised beds. I suppose they would normally have smothered neighbouring plants without the paths. It was a bit of an obstacle course to negotiate the plot after that! I'm sure you could trim the foliage if necessary.

One plus point for growing them up wigwams might be improved air circulation, since mine got terrible powdery mildew. Some of the sweet dumpling sorts produce smaller fruits, which might be OK up a wigwam

Give squashes a go if you've got the space - they are really fab.

[pickledtink]

Dinky Doo - I grew only a few plants this year, which took up an amazing amount of space, and they spread onto the paths around my raised beds. I suppose they would normally have smothered neighbouring plants without the paths. It was a bit of an obstacle course to negotiate the plot after that! I'm sure you could trim the foliage if necessary.

One plus point for growing them up wigwams might be improved air circulation, since mine got terrible powdery mildew. Some of the sweet dumpling sorts produce smaller fruits, which might be OK up a wigwam

Give squashes a go if you've got the space - they are really fab.

I'm with Peta here. Certainly powdery mildew is a b****r and I'm going to experiment with more directed growth next year rather than the haphazard trellis, obelisks slung in hopefully etc. Not to mention sometimes just letting them climb up trees and the neighbours erected chicken wire along the boundary.
I don't think one ever really accepts just how huge and far ranging they are even when you grow them regularly. I certainly thought mine would remain stunted this year after the heatwave stalled them so badly. Some have a 16 foot span outwards and upwards!

[seasprout]

The lady at Ryton pumpkin day last sunday said her fav was Crown prince. Now i'm looking for cheap seed of it to give it a try.

[adam connor]

i grew my squash as part of indian trilogy (squash, climibing french beans and sweet corn) and had a fab crop. I am finding you don't need to freeze all of them as they last so well on a relatively sheltered spot and indeed go through pretty colour changes. I am absolutely addicted and inspired by comments above shall invest in more types for next year. Only point is you have to be willing to eat them yourself as so many people are "what do i do with that" even when given it as a loving offer.

ADAM

[Slug]

I love squashes too. We are hoping to get sponsored to move to Australia soon, so it is good to know there are lots of squashes there.

You will be in Squash heaven in that case. I first came across them there along with sweet potatoes many years ago which set me off on growing them in UK as I couldn't stop craving the taste.

Wow Blossom - that would be great!! I loved Oz and yes.... PT is definitely right... you'll be in squash heaven there. They have alot of Japanese pumpkins there. I ended up not eating a single butternut squash in my whole time there (just over 2 years) because I knew I could eat butternut at home, so I was making the most of the pumpkin variety!!

I found the small ones are the best. The great thing is that they sell them in 'chunks' in the supermarket and the veg shops so you can buy as little or as much as you want.

You will literally be in squash heaven!!

[minka1974]

Hi all

Having read all this thought I would save some of the seeds from the squash I grew this year (just eaten the monster one!) and see what comes up next year ... so ... what's the best way to preserve the seeds? Wash off & dry?

Cheers

[Mrs Dobby]

Yep, wash off, dry and leave on some kitchen roll to fully dry, they will probably stick to it, but that doesnt matter, you just tear off the bit with them on when its time to plant them!

[minka1974]

Thanks Suzanne. Can't wait to see what the fruit looks like next year!