cuc's, squash and courgette, can i make them climb?

[giggler]

Hey all....newbie grower here, going a bit mad, loads of plans and not sure where I'm gonna put it all.

I had all my FIRM plans as to what I was gonna grow this year and what to put where. Then I went to B&Q and spotted cucumbers, butternut squash and courgettes, all at 78p so I thought bargain I'll add this to my collection!!

Not quite sure now what to do with them.....Do they all grow massive, spread like mad, or can I get them to trail up some trellis or bean poles or something (I think I'm a closet vertical grower!)

The little label you get with the pot was pretty useless just gave the variety....they are

Courgette green bush (does this mean it will be a bush then rather then sprawling..)

cucumber perfect ridge

Butternut squash hunter

I'm not planting things in the ground due to wonky back and sloping site makes me wobble like a weeble!!! Everything in going in planters and pots or growbags.

Any advice would be brill

Thanks x

[Poddington Pea]

Hi Giggler,

I won't pretend to be an expert, but I have this book from the seventies 'The Self Sufficient Gardener' and in it it describes how to make all of the above climb. You can create bamboo wigwams or make frames using chicken wire, train them up trellis, basically any which way you can imagine!!
Good luck, I'll be trying courgettes and squash.
x

[rana]

It is a good way to save space and these plants can be made to climb using Poddingtons suggestions. They will need a fair amount of tying in as they will naturally try and sprawl on the ground.

It is however far too early to be growing any of the cucurbit family. There is not enough heat or light - late April to early May would be more appropriate.

[Two_Sheds]

No, you can't make a bush plant climb.

[Two_Sheds]

B&Q ...cucumbers, butternut squash and courgettes, all at 78p so I thought bargain

They know how to part a newbie from their money alright (I have noticed that our local B&Q now has hand-typed signs saying "these plants have to be kept indoors until after the frosts", so they are improving)

I won't even be sowing squash and courgette seeds until April - they can't go outside until after your last frost, and they grow very BIG very FAST

[LittleShamrock]

Another one here who will be trying "vertical gardening" for as much as possible, one squash plant would probably take up most of my growing space! Sorry I don't know much about the varieties you've got, but as the others have said they can't go outside for a while yet, so you'll have lovely big houseplants in the meantime

[Alison]

Can't believe they're selling such big and tender plants this early, it really annoys me as few people can manage to house them until after the frosts

[ginger ninger]

When it's safe to pop your plants outside. Why not train your butternut over an arch, as long as you tie them in and support the squash as it gets bigger they should be OK. I grow my trailing squash's up and over arch's every year...they look great. Plus you can plant things under the arch.

[grenhouse]

Would it work the other way, by growing squashes in buckets on the shed roof and letting them trail down?


steve

[Potstubsdustbins]

I know very little well nothing about squashes, but as to your cumbers. Ridge varieties are usually classed as out door type, meaning they can be grown outdoors not that they won't do better in a GH.

I grow my cumbers in a Morrisons bucket in the GH vertically up a 6` cane then along under the roof of the GH on a taught length of cord for about another 6`.

I think you may well have a problem with the bush courgette, but again I grow mine vertically up a piece of 6` x 2` trellis stood on end.

Colin

[taff]

steve, you neede a pot thats big enough, and dont forget you'll be watering/feeding more often but no reason why you can't.

[bramble]

You may have some chance of training your cucumber vertically as they put out tendrils and they will wind them selves around any support you put up for them. Your ridge cucumber is an outdoor variety and will need to be kept indoors until after the last frost.

[zazen999]

Only problem with putting them in pots and letting them climb down is - if the pot dried out - the whole thing could tumble over. So make sure it's a heavy pot and kept well watered and it should be ok.

[grenhouse]

My shed is pretty sturdy and only on a slight incline. Have some of the morrisons black buckets or even have a couple of truggs which I use for cleaning out the chucks. Might try it, gives an extra bit of space which can be used for something else!

Steve

[miker2d2]

might try a hanging basket after reading this thread, save some space