training squash upwards

[buzzingtalk]

I keep reading about people training squash plants up a pole - but can't really find much info on this. Can anyone enlighten me?? I love squash but with limited space, they are a killer as they take up so much room...

[Two_Sheds]

Just put a climbing-something near them, and they'll go up it

[TonyF]

If you get some of the square fencing or even chicken wire, put it round the pole but leave a space of and inch or two between the pole and the wire for air and for the vegetation, it should work well. Works well for me like that (I use fencing with 3" squares, easier to work with) and we also grow roses up them round some of out down pipes to disguise them.

[Poddington Pea]

A rogue squash once grew up a friend's tree! The chicken wire idea sounds good, we have tonnes of the stuff.

Do you need to cut the fruit quite early on or can they support themselves?
x

[Pies]

old tights are good for supporting the fruit

[buzzingtalk]

They won't be growing near a wall...so what do I use to support it? All I have are bamboo canes, will this be enough to support them? The fruit are massive, I can't imagine them hanging OK

I am very dubious but it is because I haven't seen any pictures, it would be amazing to do as it would save so much space.

[Poddington Pea]

Growing Squash on an A-Frame Trellis :: Seed Girl
Just found this beautiful pic, no fruit on it, but lovely looking.

[Two_Sheds]

All I have are bamboo canes, will this be enough to support them? The fruit are massive

Obviously the heavier the fruit, the more robust your structure needs to be. I had some bonbon growing up and over debris netting strung from bamboo canes, but the fruits where resting on the net.

You probably ought to choose a smaller fruiting pumpkin like Hooligan

[Dane End Dolly]

I have metal mesh that i grow my squash up, you just have to remember how heavy your squash is going to be. It is a great space saving way to grow squash though.

[taff]

I had half one of those cheapy arches from Wilkinsons [or Wilkos or whatever they're called], half because the bottom legs rusted. I put it near a marina di chioggia squash, they grew, and they hung off it nicely about 3 foot off the ground.
The one i still have weighed about 4.5 kg when i took it off.

[buzzingtalk]

Excellent - if only there was a wilkinsons in Norwich, I keep having recommendations of stuff from there. Do you mean one of those rose arch things? I'm guessing it needs to be very sturdy to take the weight. How did you secure it to the ground? Are there ways of supporting the squash as it grows so it doesn't burden the vine - like putting a sling under it? I'm guessing it would need to be something that lets air pass so it wouldn't rot?

[Jono]

This book has some info on growing squash upwards if you can get hold of a copy:

Vegetables in a Small Garden: Simple steps to success RHS Simple Steps to Success: Amazon.co.uk: Dorling Kindersley: Books

I'm at work at the mo unfortunately, otherwise I'd dig the info out.

[buzzingtalk]

This book has some info on growing squash upwards if you can get hold of a copy:

Vegetables in a Small Garden: Simple steps to success RHS Simple Steps to Success: Amazon.co.uk: Dorling Kindersley: Books

I'm at work at the mo unfortunately, otherwise I'd dig the info out.

Ooooh looks good! I will buy it, as it is relevant to what I'm doing anyway, thanks for the link

[taff]

I'm not saying buy one!! Just saying I had one, it went rusty at the bottom, so i used the top half for something else they're not very useful to buy on purpose, but i got suckered in the first year I was growing stuff and got two because they were half price in a sale. I still have one that I didn't use [so far] but they're flimsy and really not worth buying.
I pushed the remaining legs in the ground after taking off one horizontal, it straddled two beds, with two legs in each one, didn't support any fruit, but tights or something like will do the job.

[gojiberry]

I grew squash up some wooden laths last year. I had a 6' square with cross pieces linking the 4 corner posts. (grew corn in around the structure) The plants grew well but in my experience you dont get the quantity of fruits. None of the four plants gave more than two squashes but they were of a good size and there was no problem with them being supported by the plant and plenty of good ties.

Ian