squash help

[goddess]

i thought all pumpkins and squashes tasted the same untill i bought a squash from a local organic shop in manchester, the flesh was deep orange and very aromatic .the soup it turned to was the best we have tried evev without adding cream(new healthy lifestyle).the question is when is the best time to plant the seeds?(i have unheated greenhouse)and can someone help identifying the type?its about 25 cm in diameter ,slightly flat shaped and has a dark stripy skin and the seeds are slightly thicker than the butternut sq seeds(if any of my description had made sense)thanks.g

[Raised Beds]

Hi Goddess, the best time to plant will be April or May in post. Come June plant them out on the allotment. Here is a link where you coul look up the squash name: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p...der/Squash.asp
If you have kept any seeds, you could plant and try them as well. There is a slight chnage they might have crossed, but its not serious.

[Flummery]

What an amazing website Raised Beds. I didn't know there were so many (and so wierd!)
It's worth a go. I planted seeds from shop squashes last year and got lovely (free) squashes again this year. There's always the chance they won't come true, but mine did. I've saved them again - double free?

[gingerneil]

What an amazing website Raised Beds. I didn't know there were so many (and so wierd!)
It's worth a go. I planted seeds from shop squashes last year and got lovely (free) squashes again this year. There's always the chance they won't come true, but mine did. I've saved them again - double free?

Maybe a daft question, but how much space do they take up, and many were you able to harvest from each plant ?

[Peter]

Maybe a daft question, but how much space do they take up, and many were you able to harvest from each plant ?

Check out my blog for some pictures of area and harvest.

Last year about ten yards square gave me over fifty squash.

Remember that was a bad year, dry & wet at the wrong times.

[wellie]

Peter,
Are you still knee-deep?! or have you managed to eat/offload them?!

[goddess]

yes ,thanks for the amazing website raised beds.from the photos it looks like fairytale.g

[Peter]

Peter,
Are you still knee-deep?! or have you managed to eat/offload them?!

Mid-calf.

[gingerneil]

What bush varieties would people here suggest ? I dont have room for a vine. I'm in Suffolk, and have a nice sunny position.

[Silverfox]

I know Gourd is not edible but do you think it is a good idea to grow for the kids for halloween? - I don't want them to waist my pumpkins

[SueA]

Hi Silverfox, I don't see why they couldn't use gourds, other than I think they tend to be smaller than pumpkins & sometimes odd shapes,but couldn't you scrape out all the inside & make pumpkin soup & let them have the shell for a lantern?

[Flummery]

I put them in about 2 ft apart. I got 2 or 3 squashes from each plant. The small ones are great if you puncture them with a knife and then microwave them for about 4 minutes. You can scoop the middle out and add a bit of butter - mace or nutmeg if you like it. Yum.

[ysb33r]

I put them in about 2 ft apart. I got 2 or 3 squashes from each plant. The small ones are great if you puncture them with a knife and then microwave them for about 4 minutes. You can scoop the middle out and add a bit of butter - mace or nutmeg if you like it. Yum.

Yum yum yum.

Having lived in South Africa for the greater part of my life, I really like this little gem squash (also known as skorsie in that part of the world). (http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/i...Squash1008.jpg). I am glad to say that I did manage to grow the Rolet variety successfully down here in Buckinghamshire. If left to harden properly on the plant they store very well.

They are a vine type, but this year I will try to grow them vertically.

[Elmo]

The only rule i stick to with planting distance is 3ft in all direction for bushy types and 5ft in all directions for trailers. Think I got it from my RHS veggie book but if anyone has planted them closer with success I would e interested as they don't half take up a lot of room

[Flummery]

I plant them closer than that. I only have a veg patch in the garden - quite big but not the size of a full lottie. I 'squash' (groan) them in at about 2ft spacing. They scramble over each other but if you keep them well watered they grow away fine.