Butternut squash

[Jax]

Hi all, I am growing butternut squashes but as of yet they still have no fruits forming. Is this usual as I thought there should be something by now?

[Jeanied]

Mine have been a bit slow on the uptake too Jax. Keep your eyes peeled for the flowers and pollinate by hand, just to be sure. And pray for a warm autumn!

[binley100]

mine have only just started with the female flowers .........

[jackyspratty]

I have had mixed results with all my squash. Pattypan are only just developing 2 fruits. A fair few have been nibbled by something, distinct teemarks (maybe mice or rats??). A spaghetti squash has no fruit at all.

Quite a lot have developed a brown rot marking on them. They are all on sltaes and bricks so are off the ground. Some have devlped this when small so have assumed hey have not been pollinated, but some that were hand pollinated and were getting bigger have suddenly develped it too?? Any one know what it is caused by?

Sods law that the best ones are the ones that were not destined for seed saving!!

[Scottishnewbie]

I'm trying to grow mine in the greenhouse this year so will be interesting to see if that makes a difference

[lottie dolly]

it's this silly all over the shop weather causing all sorts of mad things,i to have lovely healthy plants,with mostly male flowers,just maybe,we will have another warm spell,as long as the bugs ext don't think t'is spring again lol

[reetnproper]

My 2 Butternuts are only just starting to flower and fruit. I have one decent sized squash and 3 or 4 embryotic/just flowered females which may or may not have set - only time will tell.

I have 1 squash on each of my 4 Cobnut plants and only a couple of female flowers developing, across the lot. Last year I got 4 decent sized squash off each of my 3 plants.

As for my winter squash mix (again just 4 plants), the 3 'acorn' squash plants have each produced 1 squash each and no sign of any more flowers of either sex as yet. My 'dumpling' squash plant has 2 good sized squash on it and more flowers coming , although these look to be mainly male.

So all in all, a bit of a mixed bag so far but hopefully the butternut squash will come through as the heros because there are tonnes of female flowers growing. HTH reassure you.

Reet
x

[nomis]

I started my Zephyr and patty pans early. 7 plants all in all and now I have about 5 or 6 squash ready every day. Far too many I have no idea what to do with them. Its become hard to even give them away.

Any ideas for making chutney etc?


The butternuts we started late and have no fruit yet

[kc3824]

I started mine late too. They are rambling merrily around the border but have no fruit as yet. Lots of flowers developing though. Will it help to pinch out the tips of the shoots?
KC

[Jeanied]

I think you can stop them, but only after fruit has set, KC, just to be on the safe side in case the flowers are not pollinated. The new flowers are all on the tips.

[BeatTheSeasons]

I started my Zephyr and patty pans early. 7 plants all in all and now I have about 5 or 6 squash ready every day. Far too many I have no idea what to do with them. Its become hard to even give them away.

Any ideas for making chutney etc?

If you've got a glut of Zephyrs then you can use them as you might use yellow courgettes and make HAPPINESS SOUP It's a Nigella recipe and I made it last night with 1 giant and 1 tiny yellow courgette.

[BeatTheSeasons]

Oh yes sorry, to answer the original question..... we grew loads of winter squashes (but not butternut) last year and by the end of August we had lots of fruits of a decent size - one on each plant, with the rest removed. That was in pots as well. This year we were away in spring and so we only have one pumpkin plant. But that has a bowling ball sized fruit on it, and it has turned from green to orange over the last few weeks.

[lettucegrow!]

I was begining to give up on my Butternut squash but noticed last night there's a couple of fruits forming. First year of growing so hoping the warm weather comes back to get them going.

[northepaul]

My squashes have suddenly started growing madly this last few days - producing lots of leaves etc (no flowers yet though)
Strangely one of my aubergines that I thought had given up the ghost has started producing flowers and new leaves
Funny weather eh?

[bobleponge]

I am growing Waltham Butternuts, have 3 plants and am only now starting to see fruit. I have none on 1 plant, 1 on the second but many on the third, although the biggest is only about 2 inches long.
Remember also that I am a few hundred miles south of you.