Growth habits of winter squash.

[Berr]

I've never grown squashes before but this year I'm proposing to grow a few of each of seven cvs. in order to see what works and what doesn't. My problem is to determine what sort of structures, if any, are required for their different types of growth. In Joy Larkcom's "Grow Your Own Vegetables" I find:

Sprinter F1. described as "trailing".
Carnival, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling described as "semi-trailing"
Gem-Rolet is a "moderately vigorous climber."
Uchiki Kuri is a "vigorous trailer."
Crown Prince- she makes no comment of this one's style of growth.

So, does "trailing" mean it won't climb? What about Crown Prince? I can put up trellis, sheep wire, netting etc., and at 90,45,30 degrees or whatever. I just need to know what they need. I'm growing most in standard plastic refuse bins- most in the tunnel but some outdoors.
Can anyone advise, please?

Berr.

[wellie]

Ooh, Berr! How long is a piece of string me thinks....!
No, I'm not trying to be flippant, but I've grown some of the above, and for instance, Sweet Dumpling I grew up trellis the first year, didn't grow it last year, but having made a note of how 'tidy' it grew, have got it in line for growing either on an archway or the central pergola in the potager this year to mix with the sweet peas or other flowering climbers, because it's a really tidy grower, well capable to training vertically. and it's incredibly pretty too.
If 'Sprinter' is the Butternut Squash that I've grown too, it is certainly trainable up trellis, as is Little Gem. Little Gem has a very hard outer skin and you can completely injure yourself trying to open one up when it has 'cured' in the Autumn, so be very scared(!)
Your last two, Crown Prince, and Uchiki Kuri I am growing this year (I have two of each seedlings being molly-coddled as we speak) but I have never grown these before, and I am led to believe that they are certainly much more vigorous, so I am going to plant them where they can trail and re-root along their merry path to their hearts' content, and why not....

I wish you every success, and I hope I have managed to help in a small way.

[Lesley Jay]

Berr as Wellie said Sweet Dumpling grows like a climber, Delicata I found to be a good sized but not rampant grower and as Sprinter is a butternut I would treat it as a very rapidly growing plant.

[momol]

Hi Berr,

I've grown Uchiki kuri ( Red Kuri ) last year, they does seems to be vigorious grower. It's vine can reach 3 meter long( it doesn't seems to climb well ) it produce very well... mine produce around 4 to5 pumpkins per vine. it's tasty and rather nutty sweet. Be aware of slug, they damage the young pumpkins.
Hope it helps...

Momol

[Peter]

Crown Prince.

Rampant.

[Berr]

Thanks folks. I guess what I meant was: does "trailer" mean it doesn't have the capacity to climb? Or, is Gem-Rolet (the only one described as a "climber") the only one that has tendrils i.e. is self-adhesive? If you have to "train" them up supports I guess that, in view of the weight of the fruits, you'd need either to support the fruits in nets or have your trellis or net at 45 degrees or thereabouts. Or am I missing the point?

Berr.

[Lesley Jay]

Sweet Dumpling is a definite climber with tendrils and wants to climb. Delicata I found to be like a huge courgette plant with no climbing intentions.

[Berr]

That's interesting, Lesley, especially since J.L. lumps them together as Delicata types and describes them as "semi-trailing". No substitute for hands-on experience. I look forward to trying them this season.

Thanks,

Berr.

[Peter]

All I would suggest at this point is read the expected wieght of the fruit of the trailing verieties.

Crown Prince averaged over 4kg for me last year.
See:
http://podsplot.blogspot.com/2006/09...ly-worked.html
and
http://podsplot.blogspot.com/2006/09/rescue-job.html

[Lesley Jay]

They do both grow the same type of squash but Sweet Dumpling threw out extra stems and tendrils and climbed over the courgettes and cabbage netting. Every variety is going to be slightly different I would have thought.