really disappointed with my squash

Post by **p.penn** » 20 Sep 2008, 16:51

My butternut squash plant, which I planted in a tub, is looking very sorry for itself! It seemed to thrive initially but looks awful now. Same happened with my courgettes - started to harvest them and was looking forward to a glut and then suddenly the plants sort of dissolved.

????????? confused>

Nellie · Post by **Nellie** » 20 Sep 2008, 17:39

Me too.

I started off well with gloriously healthy courgettes, pumpkin and butternut squash. To cut a long story short they are all now in the compost bin.

I've always grown these well, but this year was just a disaster.

Glad to hear it's not just me!

kdoc · Post by **kdoc** » 20 Sep 2008, 18:04

Nope mine were really bad,loads of flowers and nothing and then they seem to give up the ghost.First year I have tried so now know just not me will have another go

Karen

lancashire lass · Post by **lancashire lass** » 20 Sep 2008, 19:40

I thought I was heading for a disaster soon after planting them out on the allotment as we seem to get umpteen high winds that killed off a lot of my marrows & courgettes and pumpkin plants. The others recovered & were slow at first but when we had that mini heatwave in July (I definitely have it in my gardening diary so I lie not )t'

), they started to grow like mad.

Have to say I had a good harvest of courgettes & marrows throughtout August & early September but they are all dying back now (mildew & end of season). I've seen some of the squashes & so far (fingers crossed) they are looking fine

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 20 Sep 2008, 19:45

My butternut squash didn't come to anything either, but they were a bit of an experiment. I bought one from Tes-co, ate it, and planted the seeds. I had 3 healthy plants in tubs, flowers and fruit developing but then it all stopped. I blame lack of sun and maybe the pots weren't big enough.

My green courgettes were in the raised beds, I have had loads off them. The yellow ones were in tubs (those plastic storage boxes) although they got off to a good start, I had a lot of fruit, they didn't produce as many as the green ones in the beds. Again I wonder if the tubs were big enough, I will put them all in raised beds next year, I think they need plenty of root space.

Ilona

Nellie · Post by **Nellie** » 20 Sep 2008, 20:00

I've always had far fewer yellow courgettes than green ones - just seems to be the way they grow for me. Perhaps that is why you rarely see the yellow ones in the shops.

lancashire lass · Post by **lancashire lass** » 20 Sep 2008, 20:03

Squash & marrows grow very well in soil with manure dug in (in fact will even do extremely well on the raw manure pile too which can be too harsh for other crops!)

I agree about the root space Meanqueen - I once grew courgettes in pots and they started off well then amounted to nothing. They are extremely thirsty plants and I think this is one of the reasons they didn't do too well in a container

Post by **p.penn** » 20 Sep 2008, 20:30

Interesting - although i didn't mention it I grew yellow & green courgettes (as well as the squash). The yellow ones gave out before the green but it was really wierd the way they just suddenly disintegrated. :shock:

I was really hoping to have oodles of green & yellow courgettes. Got about 10 in total from 2 plants.

lancashire lass · Post by **lancashire lass** » 22 Sep 2008, 07:25

There's nothing wrong with using seed from supermarket fruit & veg (I always experiment & sometimes it works, sometimes not), but do check the country of origin - they may be better suited to that climate rather than a cool, wet British one, so invariably don't always do as well as expected.

Having said that, our summers have become so unpredictable that one year you'll hit jackpot :-D

seahorse · Post by **seahorse** » 22 Sep 2008, 08:00

Mildred, my pumpkin plant went beserk in the garden , with runners everywhere .But now she is looking sorry for herself with only one pumpkin to speak of. Loads of flowers but I think too much wet weather spoilt things. Will try again next year, perhaps plant earlier is the trick. (f+

Post by **Johnhson** » 29 Sep 2008, 00:34

It's the weather that's to blame. I mean, August was a washout. Perfect weather for mildews and blights.

My new book, "Growing Rice on the Paddy Fields of Cheshire" should be a big hit if 2009 is as bad.

spudley · Post by **spudley** » 05 Oct 2008, 09:54

mine too. planted nursed trimmed acording to the readers digest (goodlife type book circa 1970) have fabulous healthy plants have had wonderful flowers but not one squash..

had enough courgettes for a couple of omletts but then they whithered up on me and the aubergines didnt get anywhere.... Now I know why everyone was so thin in the 30's and 40's they didnt have anything to eat except spuds and green beans and peas, the only things that seem to do well even though I kept forgetting them.......

4 french hens · Post by **4 french hens** » 05 Oct 2008, 10:03

When growing in containers the trick is to feed the plants as they very quickly use all the nutients in the growing medium thet have been planted in.
Mike

Post by **Richard** » 05 Oct 2008, 12:20

Look forward to the book, but here in Kent, we rarely go below thirty degrees, even in January !!!! )j;

What I've found with Squash is that they seem to like really bad soil !
By far the best results I've had have been when I've grown them on a disused bonfire which I'd put stones over.

Food for thought ?

seahorse · Post by **seahorse** » 05 Oct 2008, 17:56

I've now picked my one and only pumpkin before anything else decides to eat it...poor show for such a huge plant. I will relish every mouthful though. Better luck with next year's heatwave!!! (f+