Butterfingers

[Littlemouse]

Discovered yesterday that I have a baby butternut squash forming on very long trailing stem.. so in an attempt to lift it off ground and support this long stem I manage to totally mangle the stem. Am not expecting any more butternuts to form - feel a bit depressed.

This is my first year of growing courgettes and squashes and the hollow and delicate stems have come as somewhat of a surprise!

[rustylady]

I just leave them to wander wherever they will. They do surprisingly well and I think they're better without interference from us. The only time I do any lifting or moving is if I have mature fruit and the weather turns really wet. Then I will carefully lift the fruit onto a paving slab.

[SlugLobber]

I did pretty much the same thing last year, Little mouse, only I was cutting back foliage and managed to sever the only stem with fruit on it, so I ended up with one squash. I let it ripen on a sunny windowsill then ate it. Very tasty it was, too! This year I've done as RL says, and have to step over the poxy thing to hang washing out, lol! I've cut off some leaves, to give the fruit more sun, but otherwise left well alone and they're doing a smashing job of producing nice fruits!

[Littlemouse]

well, you live and learn and my learning curve is v steeply angled and smartly smacking my chops left and right!

[SlugLobber]

You are not alone! By that analogy there are a few of us around with red cheeks, lol!